A Prayer to the Skies – The Most Sacred Temple of Heaven
In ancient times, Chinese Emperors called themselves the Sons of Heaven, believing that they had the divine right to rule over their countrymen. In 1420, the magnificent and holy Temple of Heaven was built where the Ming Emperors use to perform sacred heaven worshipping rituals.
This beautiful, hallowed place was called the Temple of Heaven and Earth, but was expanded and renamed by the Ming Emperor Jiajing in 1530. Since then many colourful and symbolic changes have been made during the Qing dynasty. The layout of the Temple of Heaven reflects the ancient beliefs of the Chinese peoples, of a Round Heaven and Square Earth. The corners of the Temple compound is squared and edged, whilst the corners at the north is curved and rounded.
The Temple of Heaven is over four times the size of the Forbidden City, because the emperors feared to build it smaller than their own dwelling place. The Northern heaven wall is higher than the Southern earth wall, because heaven is above the earth. Beyond these walls there is the inner wall, enclosing the main buildings of the Temple of Heaven.
In ancient imperial times, the emperors would visit the temple three times per year; during the first lunar month on the eighth day to pray for a fruitful harvest, at the Summer Solstice to pray for essential rainfall and then again at the Winter Solstice to offer gratitude for a bountiful harvest. They also held rituals to honour ancestors and worship their gods and natural phenomenon.
All of these consecrated rituals took place in the various beautiful buildings within the inner wall. The Altar of Heaven or Huanqui is at the southern end, opposite the Altar of Prayers for Harvest at the northern apex. These spectacular buildings reflect the divinity and beliefs of the Chinese peoples. They are of unique design and offer a range of acoustic phenomenon.
At the centre of the Altar of Heaven, a stone plate called the Millions Behind has an extraordinary feature. Though there is no roof for sound to bounce off, if someone whispers while standing on top of it, it sounds as though there are countless voices answering. The area is solemn and tranquil, with an air of mystique when rituals are performed.
The Imperial Vault is surrounded by the Whispering Wall, where two people can speak to each other in plain voices, with a vast distance between them, as they stand near the wall.
The Triple Sound Stones that pave the way to the main temple is another acoustic marvel. When a person stands on the first stone and makes a sound, they can hear one solitary echo, on the second and third stone two and three echoes are heard respectively. All of this is because of the clever architecture of the ancient builders.
The Red Stairway Bridge stretches from North to South with three lanes. They are the Divine Road for the gods, the Imperial Road for the Emperors and the Lords Road for the aristocrats. It leads to the Altar of Prayer for Harvest which is elaborately decorated and is considered a masterpiece of wooden architecture. The number nine also plays a significant role in the fantastic design and layout within the Temple of Heaven. It can be seen in various patterns, in the number of stairs, in the woodwork, along pathways and in wall designs. The Temple of Heaven has also been painted in key colours representing the different icons of Chinese worship. Blue represents the sky and is the most predominant colour, whilst yellow signifies the earth. There are also reds and golden hues, whilst the green of the centuries old cypress trees and the white of the marble steps help to create a noble, holy and solemn atmosphere.
The Temple of Heaven entered the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list in 1998. Its magnificent architecture and landscaping designs reflect the images the ancient Chinese saw as the entire Universe. Its unique purpose to worship the heavens has been highly influential upon the ancient and modern Chinese people and visitors from afar.
