On Monday, Mary 22, 2017 Michelle and I landed in Beijing, China! The day was overcast and rainy, but we were still ready for an adventure. We dropped our bags off at the hotel and we headed to the Temple of Heaven in the Chongwen District of Beijing.
About The Temple Of Heaven
The temple was built in 1420. The emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties would visit the temple to pray and worship. It was here that they offered sacrifices for bountiful harvests and favorable rain.
The temple is divided into an inner and outer part separated by various walls. The inner section includes the Hall of Prayer (main building), Imperial Vault of Heaven, the Circular Mound, and the Abstinence Palace (where the emperors would remain abstinent before rituals).
The architecture is simply beautiful. I was very excited to see the different building across Japan and China. I was not disappointed. The Temple also featured lovely gardens throughout the grounds.
Chinese locals playing cards:
The Imperial Vault Of Heaven
Built in 1530 during the Ming dynasty, the round shaped building was the main hall for worship. The building housed "god's tablets" which were used at the ceremony of worshiping heaven. The building is truly a masterpiece of ancient Chinese architecture.
The Circular Mound
Constructed in 1530, the Circular Mound served as an alter and place of ceremony for the worshiping of heaven for the winter solstice. There are 9 levels or stairs which lead to the center. This symbolizes the 9 layers of heaven. The amount of marble used in this vast circular structure is amazing.
Last year, Michelle and I took a month to travel across Japan and China. It was epic! Follow me, @slickwilly and Michelle, @curiouser for posts about our travel adventures!
Hi there, I’m Will. First and foremost I am an entrepreneur and voluntaryist. I aspire to help build a more free world, one that we all want to live in. Some of my biggest passions include cryptocurrencies, marketing, finance, cannabis, traveling, bodybuilding, snowboarding, motorcycles, and Subarus. All pictures are my own unless otherwise stated. I release everything under CC0.
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