This is the visit to the Temple of Heaven, a great historical monument in Beijing

One of the essential visits on your trip to Beijing Beijing is undoubtedly the Heaven Temple.

In this historic monument of China You will be able to relive the atmosphere of the sacred ceremonies that the Chinese emperors did every year to pray for a good harvest.

El Heaven Temple, ceremonial monument which was completed in the year 1420, and which was used by the emperors of the Ming and Qin dynasties, until the year 1911, is located next to the Tiantan Park, riding a Beijing / Beijing, and occupies 273 hectares.

To understand the importance of Heaven Temple In the history of Imperial China, one must know that the Emperor was considered the Son of Heaven, and therefore, an intermediary between Earth and Heaven.

This thought is based on Confucianism, the predominant religion at that time in China, which followed the philosophy of confucius.

El Heaven Temple It was built to show this authority of the emperor in the form of sacrificial ceremonies dedicated to Heaven.

The most important of these ceremonies is the one that took place every year during the winter solstice. The emperor was heading to Heaven Temple to, through a sacrifice, pray for a good harvest.

The Temple of Heaven is not a temple with characteristics similar to those of the churches of Western culture. On your visit to Heaven Temple You will see that, in reality, in the surroundings of a large park, known as Tiantan, there are several buildings and an impressive circular altar.

The entire enclosure has an outer wall and there is another inner wall that separates the buildings.

The Emperor, after three days of great celebrations, the day before the winter solstice went with his entire court, and dressed in an opulent costume, to the Tiantan Park, and in the Imperial Vault of Heaven He dedicated himself to meditation.

Then he spent the night in Prayer Hall for Good Harvest. And the next day, the winter solstice, an animal was sacrificed in the Altar of Heaven or Circular Altar. This entire ceremony was carried out without the presence of the Chinese people.

On your visit to Heaven Temple you will verify that the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest and Circular Altar They are separated by a 350 meter long stone path.

El Heaven Temple was declared in 1998 Heritage awarded by the Unesco and it is an essential visit in Beijing.

I'll tell you more, in our opinion it is one of the most beautiful and interesting that we could see in all of China.

Tiantan Park

El Heaven Temple It is located within a huge park, whose dimensions are twice those of the Forbidden City. Its about Tiantan Park.

When the Temple was opened to the public after the fall of the last emperor in 1912, Tiantan Park It became a place of enjoyment for the citizens of Beijing.

Quite the opposite of what had been happening until the arrival of the Chinese RevolutionBecause the village She was prohibited from visiting this park and could not attend the ceremonies performed by the emperor.

In the 275 hectares occupied by the Tiantan Park, With its two kilometers of distance from north to south, the different buildings of the Temple of Heaven are arranged.

Nowadays, when you have the opportunity to visit the Temple of Heaven, the first thing that will surprise you is to see how the pTiantan arch It is very busy with Pekingese.

The most recommended for access the Temple of Heaven, is to enter through the northeast door of pTiantan arch, going directly to Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest.

In this section you will have the opportunity to travel the Long Corridor, a long corridor covered by a wooden structure with a decoration of great color and beauty, similar in style to what you will also find in the Beijing Summer Palace.

Long Corridor

On this walk through Long Corridor of the Temple of Heaven, 340 meters long, we can see groups of people practicing various activities, such as practicing Tai Chi or badminton.

Also, under the covered corridor itself you will find musicians playing typical Chinese instruments, as well as various groups of people playing different games.

In sum, this walk through Tiantan Park from Beijing Beijing, heading towards the buildings of the Temple of Heaven, remind us of images of holidays in large parks, such as Retiro Park in Madrid, of course, with Chinese activities and customs.

Prayer Hall

The most majestic temple of all is the one known as Prayer Hall for Good Harvest. Every year, in the month of January, the emperors of the dynasties went to him. Ming y Qing, until 1911, to pray for a good harvest.

Located north of great enclosure of the Heaven Temple, it is a round palace, which we find on a large rounded three-level platform, with beautiful railings, all made of white marble.

The building of Prayer Hall for Good Harvest It is built entirely of wood, with 28 enormous columns inside. The arrangement of these columns has great symbolism.

In the 32-meter diameter of the building, there are four columns that represent the four seasons of the year, another 12 columns, which represent the 12 months of the year, and another 12, which symbolize the 12 hours of the day.

The height of the beautiful building of Prayer Hall for Good Harvest It is 33 meters, and its round roof is also arranged on three levels.

Imperial Vault in the Temple of Heaven

La Imperial Vault of the Temple of Heaven It is located between the main building of the prayer hall that I just told you about.

Built of wood and with a beautiful dark blue tiled roof, which looks more like an umbrella, the Imperial Vault of Heaven It is a round building smaller than the one mentioned above. Prayer Hall.

With its 19 meters high and almost 16 meters in diameter, the Imperial Vault of Heaven It was the first building that Emperor He came to meditate at the summer solstice ceremony.

Inside, the wooden boards that we find placed in urns stand out, and they represent gods. You will see the exterior surrounded by very beautiful white marble railings.

Next to the Imperial Vault of Heaven is one of the most curious places in the Heaven Temple.

I am referring to the one known as the Echo Wall, a 60-meter circular wall that is characterized by its ability to echo, so that if you speak on one side of the wall, the voices are heard on the opposite side.

I can tell you that during your visit to the Temple of Heaven you will surely spend a good time testing whether, in fact, you can hear the echo. I confirm that even if they speak quietly, you will be able to hear the voices of those who are on the opposite side of the aforementioned circular wall.

Circular Altar of the Temple of Heaven

In your visit to the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, the usual thing is that you access from the north side from the Tiantan Park, after passing through the Long Corridor.

Already in the Temple precinct, on our journey from north to south, the Circular Altar, or Altar of Heaven, will be the last place we visit, because behind it is the south door of the Heaven Temple.

El Circular Altar It is the place where ritual sacrifices were carried out, among which the most important was that of the winter solstice to pray for a good harvest.

To access the Circular Altar We have to cross a door that opens in the internal wall of the enclosure of the Heaven Temple, and which unites the Altar with the building of the Imperial Vault of Heaven.

Built in 1530, the Circular Altar is a concentric platform with three terraces surrounded by white marble railings. Each of the terraces has nine steps, the iconic number for the Chinese.

In the past, in the center of Circular Altar of the Temple of Heaven The Throne of Heaven was located, considered in Imperial China at the time as the center of the Earth.