Kristie Hilliard
William Blake Group
Altar and Temple of Heaven
General Description
The Altar and Temple of Heaven was built in Beijing, China during the reign of Emperor Yong Le and was completed in 1420. In China, the emperor was regarded as the Son of Heaven and he was also considered a liaison between Heaven and Earth. Because of this, it was very important for the people to show respect for his spiritual connection between Heaven and Earth so they had ceremonies where they showed respect for the source of the emperor’s spiritual authority. These ceremonies were held at the Temple of Heaven.
Architectural Design
The Temple of Heaven covers an area of 2,700,000 square meters and has two altars, one on the inside and one of the outside. The major structures of the Temple’s roadways are spaced out in north and south axis’s. The altars and temples face the south because it is the source of temperature weat
her and abundance and the north was influenced by evil sources. The building is square on the southern end and semi-circular on the northern end, with the round shape symbolizing heaven and the square shape symbolizes earth. The main building of the Temple is the inner altar. The Circular Altar and the Imperial Vault of Heaven stand on the north of the inner altar, while The Hall of Prayer and The Huang Gan Hall face south. They are connected by a 360 meter long corridor. The Hall of Prayer is very colorful and it is 38 meters high. The eaves of the hall are comprised of blue tiles because the sky is blue and it is symbolic of Heaven. The symbolic layout and design of the temple had a significant influence on architecture and planning in the Far East over many centuries.Harmony with Nature
The temple is considered to be sacred ground. Chinese people believe that heaven and earth are connected so they built the temple as a way to connect or find harmony between earth and heaven. In this way, harmony with nature and earth is shown.
Symbolism and Sacred Objects
Since the temple was built as a place where heaven and earth unites, the use of the round shapes to represent heaven and the square to represent earth are essential to the building. The circular and square patterns are repeated throughout the structure of the temple. The temple also has two walls that extend the circle and square shapes. The taller wall is semi-ci
rcular and it is longer than the rectangular wall, which represents the earth. This is likely because heaven is superior to earth. The blue tiles that are in the Hall of Prayer are also symbolic because they represent the sky, which is blue, and it also represents heaven.Also important in the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest is a circular column that represents summer, fall, winter, and spring.
How it is used by Worshippers
Although the Altar and Temple of Heaven was originally built for the emperor of China, it was still built as a place for worship where the people could come and worship to get a feel of the connection between heaven and earth. The emperor conducted ceremonies for sacrifices to heaven and the people came to worship heaven and also pray for good harvests.
Sources
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/881
http://www.beijing-travel.cn/Beijing_Attractions/Temple_of_Heaven.htm
http://www.china-travel-tour-guide.com/attractions/temple-of-heaven.shtml
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/china/beijing-temple-of-heaven
http://www.360cities.net/image/the-hall-of-prayer-for-good-harvest-beijing
Schlesier, M. L. (2005). Deities and Places of Worship. Exploring Art: A Global, Thematic Approach. I/ed (pp. 258). Mason, OH: Thomson.
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