Interesting places in Tiantan Park (Temple of Heaven):

Temple of Heaven Complex		Long Corridor
The Echo Wall		Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests
The Circular Round Altar		Danbi Bridge
成貞門		Fasting Palace
Double-Circular Longevity Pavilion & Fan Shaped Pavilion		The Divine Kitchen
具服臺		九龍柏
望燈

the Tiantan Park (Temple of Heaven) is part of Beijing , Ancient Outer City .

Location is derived from the great work of WikiMapia
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Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests (Qiniam Dian) Exterior and Interior, Temple of Heaven Complex, Beijing
Made by D200-Paul
Best viewed The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests (Qiniam Dian) is part of The Temple of Heaven Complex where the emperor would go once a year (at the winter solstice) to pray for good harvests. Built in 1542 (the 24th year of Emperor Jiajing's reign of the Ming Dynasty) on the site of an earlier temple and named the Great Hall for Offering Sacrifices, it was constructed totally of wood and without the use of a single nail. In 1749 (the 14th year of Emperor Qianlong's reign of the Qing Dynasty) the temple was remodeled and renamed to its present Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests (Qiniam Dian). The triple-eave Qiniam Dian rises 125ft (38m) and is topped by a blue tile conical roof with a golden finial at its center. The temple rests atop the center of a circle formed by three tiers of marble 300ft (90m) in diameter and 20ft (6m) high with the balusters on the upper tier decorated with dragon carvings signifying the imperial nature of the structure. Qiniam Dian is often incorrectly called the Temple of Heaven. There is, in fact, no single temple building as such. The Temple of Heaven (Tian Tan) refers to the entire complex and in fact a more accurate translation of Tian Tan is not Temple of Heaven but Altar of Heaven. The interior image is a panorama created using Photoshop Elements to stitch together three images vertically. These three images were captured from the open door seen here in the center of the image of the exterior of The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests (Qiniam Dian) Exterior and Interior, Temple of Heaven Complex, Beijing


Imperial roof decoration at Temple of Heaven
Made by Z.Faisal
Chinese imperial roof decoration or roof charms or roof-figures (檐獸 / 檐兽; Pinyin: yán shòu) or (走獸 / 走兽; Pinyin: zǒu shòu) or (蹲獸 / 蹲兽; Pinyin: Dūn shòu) was only allowed on official buildings of the empire. Chinese roofs are typically of the hip roof type, with small gables. In the year 283 BC, the tyrant Prince Min of the state of Qi, after being defeated by a combination of other states, was strung up to the end of a roof ridge and left hanging there without food and water, exposed to the sun until he died. To stigmatize his evils deeds, the people placed a effigy riding a hen, on the roofs of their houses. With the weight of the prince, the hen cannot fly down. To prevent the hen from escaping over the roof, a qiwen was placed at the other end of the ridge. It was not until the time of Ming Emperor Yongle that other figures were added. A correct set would be in this order – hen, dragon, phoenix, lion, unicorn, celestial horse. If more is required, any one can be repeated except the hen and the qiwen, but always so as to form an odd number up to eleven - odd number comes under influence of Yang. Over time, the arrangement and number of figures departed from the original…. --- C.A.S. Williams say in his book Chinese Symbolism and Art Motifs. Number of those figures imply the social position, or say the power, of the house owner. North Gate, Temple of Heaven, Beijing, China.


Even when you're standing in piss, you can still dream....
Made by musicmuse_ca
This is the Heavenly Center Stone of the Circular Mound Altar of the Temple of Heaven. It is in the center of the 9 circles of heaven and is place that for many centuries was the central sacred spot for all of China. On the Winter Solstice, the culmination of days of fasting by the Emperor took place here. Prayers were said, and rituals were performed to plead for good harvests so the people would not starve. On the day that we visited, we waited in line with many others for our turn to stand upon this sacred spot. Right in front of us, a middle-aged Chinese man took his turn and crouched down over the stone. As we all watched, he lowered his pants and silently urinated on the Heavenly Sacred Stone. When he was done, he pulled his pants up and left with a satisfied smile on his face. Some people laughed, others were horrified. My daughter decided that she wanted me to take the shot anyway. She smiled and raised her hands in the air. Then we went on our way. A message for the shortest day of the year, the dark time of the year, the Winter Solstice: Even when all that you treasure has been pissed upon, you can still have hope.... Even when you stand in piss, you can still dream.... Unesco


Imperial Vault of Heaven
Made by musicmuse_ca
The complex was originally built during the Ming Dynasty, by the .This is one of several buildings in the Temple of Heaven complex in Beijing. During the Winter Solstice, many important ceremonies took place in the Temple of Heaven complex. On Dec 20th each year, the emperor presented incense in this building which housed the shrine for the tablet of the God of Heaven. Tablets of the emperor's eight ancestors were also kept here. During the Winter Solstice, these tablets were moved to the nearby circular mound for the Worshipping of Heaven ceremony. There were other tablets used in the ceremonies stored here, including the tablets of the Gods of Gold, God of Moon, God of Cloud, God of Rain, God of Wind, God of Thunder, as well as tablets of the Gods of the Sun, God of the Big Dipper, God of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, God of 28 Constellations, and God of Stars. There were also depictions of the Buddha. The building does not have any horizontal beams as support. The entire building is supported by 8 pillars and a span-work of bars, laths and brackets. This building was originally built in 1520. Unesco


Panorama of the Gate of Prayer for Good Harvests, Temple of Heaven Complex, Beijing
Made by D200-Paul
Best viewed The Temple of Heaven Complex, where the emperor would go once a year (at the winter solstice) to pray for good harvests, is set in one of Beijing's most impressive parks. The temple was the place where earth, represented by the square shapes including the bases of the enclosures, communicated with heaven, represented by the rounded tops. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests (Qiniam Dian) is certainly the highlight of a visit to the Temple of Heaven complex. The Gate of Prayer for Good Harvests is immediately in front of the hall (on the other side of the openings seen here) and is probably from where the most encompassing images of the hall can be captured. The panorama was constructed using Photoshop Elements to stitch two images horizontally. This gate is in reality rectangular, but its rounded appearance is caused by the wide angle lens used to capture the original images. Panorama of the Gate of Prayer for Good Harvests, Temple of Heaven Complex, Beijing


The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests
Made by 囧-Jean-囧
39°52'55.84N,116°24'23.62E, search it by using google earth and you will find it's location ^_^ enjoy your trip! The Temple of Heaven is the largest existing architectural complex in the world for the purpose of praying to heaven for good harvests. It was included in the World Heritage List by UNESCO in December 1998. The Temple of Heaven is located in southern Beijing. It is included in the UNESCO world heritage list in 1998. With an area of 2.7 million square meters, it is the largest of its kind in the country. Built in 1420, the 18th year of the reign of Ming Emperor Yongle, the temple was where emperors went to worship heaven for good harvests. The temple's main building is the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, where the emperor prayed for good harvests. The round hall, 38 meters high and 30 meters in diameter, has triple eaves and a cone-shaped deep blue tile roof crowned with a gilded knob. Surrounding the hall is a six-meter-high spacious circular stone terrace on three levels, each edged by a balustrade of carved white marble.


Play your cards right
Made by Joep R.
View large The Temple of Heaven in Beijing is surrounded by very large park, more than twice the size of the Forbidden City. As this was to be the space representing Heaven on Earth, symbolically it needed to be bigger than the Forbidden City. It is about 2 kilometers from north to south. The inner walled area that houses the main structures covers 275 Hectares (2.75 million square meters). Indeed, it is the largest group of constructions for worship in the world. The Temple of Heaven is a delightful and exquisite place to spend some time. Arrive in the early morning to watch the TaiChi experts, although the park is lively all day and into the evening with kite flyers, musicians, singers, dancers and games players (from badmington to chinese chess). More: www.kinabaloo.com/temple_of_heaven.html


Temple of Heaven - Beijing, China
Made by Rincewind42
For more information about the Temple of Heaven and Beijing city in China, visit my website: Tiantan translates as the Temple of Heaven. This UNESCO world heritage site in Beijing, China, is quite unique. The building shown here is just one of many that form this massive Taoist religious site. It was here that the Emperor of China would come each year to worship the God of Heaven to secure a good harvest for the next year. In Chinese belief, the Earth is square and Heaven is round. Thus the Tiantan Temple of Heaven departs form the traditional Chinese architecture to make a round building representing Heaven.


Bride to be at Temple of Heaven in Beijing, China~10 October 2011
Made by Y. Deshayes
This beautiful young Chinese woman in her gorgeous red silk wedding dress were at the Temple of Heaven (a UNESCO World Heritage site) with her future husband having their wedding photographs taken prior to the wedding - a normal custom in China. Often the photos are used for the wedding invitations. I'm now back from my adventurous holiday but seriously jet-lagged and busy, so bear with me and I hope soon to be able to spend a bit of time with you all again. Hundreds of photos, were taken on this trip, sadly the weather gods weren't co-operating but the sun did come out on a few days so I hope to be able to share some of my wonderful memories with you soon. In the meantime, wish you a wonderful weekend.


Temple of Heaven
Made by mischiru
The Temple of Heaven, literally the Altar of Heaven is a complex of Taoist buildings situated in the southeastern part of central Beijing. The complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest. It is regarded as a Taoist temple, although Chinese Heaven worship, especially by the reigning monarch of the day, pre-dates Taoism. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, as depicted here, is a magnificent triple-gabled circular building, 36 metres in diameter and 38 metres tall, built on three levels of marble stone base, where the Emperor prayed for good harvests. The building is completely wooden, with no nails.


After Rebellion
Made by The National Archives UK
Description: German soldier poses in front of the East gate of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing in a photograph taken during the aftermath of the Boxer Rebellion. Date: c.1900 Our Catalogue Reference: WO 28/302 f.63 This image is from the collections of The National Archives. Feel free to share it within the spirit of the Commons. For high quality reproductions of any item from our collection please contact our image library.


Temple of Heaven (5)
Made by e_velo (εωγ)
El Salón de oración por las buenas cosechas (祈年殿) es un magnífico edificio circular de 36 metros de diámetro y 38 metros de altura, construido sobre una base de mármol de tres niveles, donde el emperador oraba por las buenas cosechas. El edificio es totalmente de madera, sin clavos. A ningún chino común y corriente le estaba permitido ver las ceremonias. El punto culminante de la ceremonia en el solsticio de invierno era llevado a cabo por el emperador en el Monte Terrenal. La ceremonia tenía que estar perfectamente completada , el más pequeño de los errores en la celebración constituiría un mal augurio para toda la nación en el año siguiente.


Heaven's Ceiling
Made by musicmuse_ca
This is the inside ceiling of the Imperial Vault of Heaven. I had to sneak this one quickly, since they do not allow photographers to photograph inside Heaven. You can only take shots of the outside of Heaven. I wonder if that will get me in trouble later on? Oh well... In any case, I did satisfy my curiosity, so that whatever the consequences, it will be worth it, heh. I always wondered if Heaven had a ceiling and what it would look like if it did. Well, now I can put that question to rest finally. That is a relief. Unesco


The Roofs of Heaven
Made by musicmuse_ca
View from the mysterious Circular Mound Altar of Sacrifice in the Temple of Heaven, Beijing. The blue azure leaves and the golden roofs represent limitless power going upwards to heaven. On the Winter Solstice during the time of the Ming and Qing dynasties, many important ceremonies and sacrifices were performed here to ensure the well-being of China and her people. The Vault of Heaven and the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests continue to keep eternal contact with the sky... Unesco



Made by patternleaf
The Hall of Annual Prayer at The Temple of Heaven in Beijing. Drenched in geometrical device, the Temple of Heaven is an architectural projection of heaven on earth. It doesn't just symbolize the heavens, its spaces progress to an earthly shade of the heavens, wherein the Emperor can perform his duty as mediator between man and the divine. This is a screen capture from a DVD, apparently. I dunno: the tourist in the red dress seemed cinematic so I went with it.


编磬 Bianqing
Made by guzhengman
清代的编磬，主要用于皇帝与王公大臣庆典的“丹陛大乐”、宫中大型宴会的“中和清乐”和“丹陛清乐”。清乾隆年间制作的编磬，16枚为一套，大小相同，厚度有异，采用新疆和田碧玉，其形与特磬一致，只是体积较小，每次演奏时全套都要使用，随乐曲旋律击奏。 Ref: www.chinamedley.com/langyuan/qing/qing_bianqing.shtml


Girl in Red
Made by musicmuse_ca
My daughter and I sat down in the Temple of Heaven park in Beijing to relax for a few minutes. This little girl came by with her mother. She saw my camera and immediately started to pose for me. Children in Japan and China all love to pose with this V sign. Decked out in red, which the Chinese consider to be a lucky color, she was so adorable that I couldn't resist. Unesco


Going to Heaven
Made by Ionut Iordache
View On Black The temple complex was constructed from 1406 to 1420 during the reign of the Yongle Emperor, who was also responsible for the construction of the Forbidden City in Beijing. The complex was extended and renamed Temple of Heaven during the reign of the Jiajing Emperor in the 16th century.


Panorama, Temple of Heaven
Made by Further to Fly
Stitched Panorama, 6 frames, Panorama Maker 4.0 This photo is Best Seen on Black. I sincerely appreciate your many comments. Here is a quick look at my most interesting shots, according to Flickr. Thanks again!


Dawn at the Temple of Heaven
Made by Further to Fly
HDR, 5 frames +/- 1 EV, Photomatix Pro This photo is Best Seen on Black. I sincerely appreciate your many comments. Here is a quick look at my most interesting shots, according to Flickr. Thanks again!