Temple Of Heaven

There are plenty of temples in China – but none are larger than the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. It's hard to miss this complex, located in the southerly Chongwen district, about four miles away from the city's epicenter. Even though the many temples of Beijing have equally inspiring titles – the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Moon, and the Temple of the Earth – the pinnacle of these buildings is the Temple of Heaven. Constructed in the early 15th century, the Temple of Heaven of China and its surroundings covers an area over five times the size of the nearby Forbidden City. The main purpose of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing was demonstrated during harvest season. The emperors fell upon the temple to pray for a better harvest than the last. Though steeped in tradition and history, the only people that visit the temple nowadays are tourists and locals who gather beneath the grounds' numerous cypress trees. But its sense of the past is palpable, which is why is has been elevated to one of the most visited tourist destinations in the country. The architecture of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing is a magnificent display, and consists of four main structures - the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, the imperial Vault of Heaven, the Echo Wall and the Circular Mound Altar. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest survives on the four large pillars at its center. Known as the dragon well pillars, each one represents one of the four seasons. There is no steel, no concrete in this well-aged palace. The walls and ceiling are a multitude of wooden bars and brackets, of sheltering eaves and impressive colors.