Idea #199 : Visit the Imperial Temple of Heaven in Beijing
The origin of the Temple of Heaven is in former China. Initially called Monument of the Sky and the Earth, it was built from 1406 till 1420 during the reign of emperor Yongle. The emperor, then considered as the ” son of the Sky “, asked to make the link between the celestial authority and the good order on earth, had to sacrifice bi-annually to the Sky. In the XVIth century, the temple is enlarged and renamed Temple of Heaven by emperor Jiajing. In the XVIIIth century, the Temple of Heaven was restored, at the request of emperor Qianlong.
The sanctuary consists of an important complex of 1,5 km from north to south and 1,7 km From east to west, closed by walls. It contains numerous temples among which the Temple for the Good Harvests, the house of the Lord of the Sky, the Room of the abstinence, and the Temple of Heaven. Buildings carry in themselves all the symbolism: surrounding walls squared in tiles of green color symbolize the earth, while the circular buildings with tiles of blue color which symbolize the sky. Of free access for the old chinese people, it is not rare to see of numerous groups of retired people there being engaged in any sorts of exercises, typically Chinese games or dances. Go, we visit, between heaven and earth…
Some Pictures
Where is it ?
Temple of Heaven, Beijing, China
