Temple of Heaven (Beijing): a description, history, features of architecture. How to get to the Temple of Heaven in Beijing?

An exotic country that attracts visitors with an abundance of architectural and natural monuments is not in vain called a true treasury of sights left from the oldest world civilization. The ancient state with a rich culture, rooted in the distant past, boasts a unique structure with strong energy - the embodiment of the greatness of the skill of architects and the deep astrological knowledge that China has always been famous for.

The Temple of Heaven in Beijing (Tiantan) is a cult object of the Celestial Empire. Protected by UNESCO, it is recognized as the most popular landmark of the country. This is the only religious structure that has a rounded shape, the roof of which is covered with blue tiles, and not red ones. The architectural complex Tiantan is located in the south-east of the capital of the state. And its location is based on ancient knowledge of the two energies - Yin (female power) and Yang (male).

The doctrine of harmony

Confucian doctrine says that the ruler is of divine origin. The Temple of Heaven in Beijing, the construction of which was begun by the order of Emperor Yun Le in 1406, and finished in 14 years, was a cult construction, where twice a year offerings were made to stay sunny days as long as possible or finally to rain. The ruler was obliged to observe the laws of the universe in order not to violate the natural course of things, and honor them as well as the father's covenants, showing the highest degree of virtue and respect for ancestors. The Chinese believed in an ideal balance of nature and knew that if harmony is broken, it is worth waiting for various cataclysms.

The monarch asked that all the elements that were unfavorable for people should happen at the right time, ensuring the necessary balance. If the heat or cold comes on time, then the earth gives a good harvest, and a powerful empire only thrives. The laws of heaven are repeated natural cycles, birth and death.

A sacred place where the Chinese representations of the world were embodied

After a hundred years later a new cult structure appeared named after the Earth, a religious complex of about 267 hectares was renamed the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. The architecture of the structure has its own peculiarities: the northern sector is made in the form of a semicircle, and the southern one is a square. Architects used various forms to deliberately divide the masterpiece into two components.

The device, architecture, as well as the symbols of the temple of Heaven in Beijing make it possible to perceive it as the main shrine in which the Chinese people's ideas about the world were embodied: they believed that the earth has the shape of a square and the sky that helps people looks like a circle.

Renovated and open to visitors a masterpiece of world architecture

The most beautiful monument, where the sky connects to the Earth with the help of a human, has undergone several reconstructions for six hundred years, but its appearance has remained unchanged. To avoid the historical complex open for visits, it will take at least three hours. On its territory, surrounded by a century-old cypress forest, you can meet local residents, strolling in parks, and admiring tourists from all over the world.

The Temple of Heaven in Beijing, the description of which is given in the article, was restored in 2006, and for its restoration the authorities spent more than six million dollars. At the beginning of the last century, after the overthrow of the last emperor, a religious monument, where the entrance for ordinary people was closed, was ruled by the state. Despite all prohibitions, believers penetrated inside the sacred structure, and already in 1918 it was open to the public.

Important for the monarch and the inhabitants of the rite

The magnificent Temple of Heaven (Beijing), stretched from the north to the south, was the place where the rulers of China communicated with the gods. Only the emperor, considered the son of Heaven, could ask the higher forces for prosperity and prosperity for the country. He went with his courtiers at the solstice to the sacred object to pray and make sacrifices.

Naturally, such an important ceremony was held all alone, and ordinary people were forbidden to observe the actions of their monarch on pain of death. Residents eagerly awaited news of how the ceremony was held. It was believed that if the emperor could not get support from the higher powers, then Heaven does not trust him, and in case of a crop failure his board may be in jeopardy.

In historical chronicles there are records that 23 emperors of the Celestial Empire made almost seven hundred sacrifices here, strengthening their power. And only in 1911, by the order of the government, a bloody rite was canceled, and seven years later the temple of Heaven in Beijing, a photo of which conveys its amazing beauty, was opened to all visitors.

Palace of Abstinence (Solitude)

However, before the ceremony, the emperor was obliged to prepare for her and spend up to five days in the abstinence palace, where he fasted and constantly meditated, cleansing his soul. A huge complex, decorated with images of dragons, symbolizing the power of power, was surrounded by a deep moat filled with water, and powerful stone walls. This was done in order to save the peace of the ruler, who daily prayed to the higher powers.

Now there is a museum here, expositions of which are exhibited in the objects of the Qing era, used for bloody sacrifices.

Altar of the sky

The three-tier round-shaped structure, in the construction of which cement and iron were not used, is a round pyramid with a diameter of about 67 meters. The altar has an amazing sound effect: even the whispered words, audible in all corners of the altar, seem to ascend to the sky, reflecting from the plates with a multiple echo. It is believed that the strongest energy of an amazing place is concentrated here like a sound, therefore it is recommended to come here to the very opening, when there are not so many people to be alone with one another and reflect on important topics.

The layers made of white marble symbolize several elements - not only heavenly and earthly, but also human. People who are able to implement the most unusual ideas and create something new, connect them. And this trinity was embodied in the architecture of the altar, in which, after the lapse of many centuries, there was not a single crack.

Stove fulfilling cherished desires

From four corners of the world, a gateway leads to it, and each of the stairs consists of nine steps. In the center of the altar, where the ruler performed the ritual of sacrifice to the gods, there is a huge stone slab on which the emperor knelt, who entered the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, and communicated with the higher powers.

There is a belief that she fulfills the most cherished dreams and therefore tourists who make wishes, necessarily rise on it. The plate is surrounded by a ring consisting of nine platforms, and in the ninth ring there are already 81. The number 9 is the number of the ruler, which denotes nine levels of the sky.

The Hall of Sacrificial Prayer (Harvest)

The three-tier wooden structure, created without the use of cement and nails, was restored after it was struck by lightning. It is considered the main attraction of a religious complex called the Temple of Heaven (Beijing). In the hall where the emperor prayed to the gods for a good harvest, wooden columns were installed, symbolizing 12 months, four pores of the year and 28 constellations. The design of the hall itself shows the correct celestial order, which should be on the Earth.

The top of the cone-shaped structure with a six-meter marble terrace, made in the form of a circle, is crowned with a golden ball. Interior decoration strikes amazing luxury, and especially enthralls decorated with a graceful carving ceiling, which you want to admire. Guides say that the hall is decorated with five thousand images of dragons that have retained the brightness of colors, and therefore it is so popular among photographers who take spectacular shots.

Hall of the Heavenly Arch (Greatness)

Covered with a blue tile is a small room, where the emperor addressed to heavenly powers, a bit like the Temple of Harvest. It was designed to store ancient tablets with the inscribed names of the ancestors of the genus of the great emperor of China and the names of natural elements. If you stand on the stone slabs before its entrance and shout, you can hear a multiple echo. This is due to the reflection of sound waves from the round wall surrounding the small hall.

However, as tourists say, there is always a lot of people trying to verify this statement in practice, and therefore there is a terrible rumble in which nothing can be disassembled.

What else to see?

The Temple of Heaven in Beijing, which can not be briefly described, is rich in famous sights, but there are enough places on its territory that are of interest to tourists. So, here there are secondary rooms, where previously served the gods, and now they have souvenir shops.

Covered galleries, on the ceilings of which you can view scenes from the history and views of China, enjoy incredible popularity: they not only direct visitors along the specified route, but also save from the heat. Here you can rest after a fascinating trip, refresh yourself, enjoy wonderful landscapes and just chat with other tourists.

Immediately there are cozy pavilions, next to which are scattered in an arbitrary manner the stones of bizarre shapes.

Temple of Heaven in Beijing: how to get there?

You can visit the world masterpiece of architectural art as part of an organized excursion or independently. The amazing religious complex is located in the heart of the capital of China, on the territory of the same park - Tiantan Park. You can get to it on city buses, which follow up to the entrance to one of the four gates. The routes to the north are 6, 34, 35, 36, 106, 707, 743, the southern routes are 36, 120, 122, 800, 803, 958, the western routes are 2, 7, 15, 17, 20, 105, 707, 729, 742, 744, eastern - 6, 34, 35, 36, 39, 41, 43, 60, 116, 610, 706.

For those who like to travel in a foreign city by taxi, you should know that the road from the main square of Tiananmen to the temple will cost three or three and a half dollars. If you do not speak Chinese, you can show the driver a photo of the object, and he will take you to the right place.

Prior to the business card of Beijing, you can get to the subway, and in this case it is necessary to go to the Tiantan East Gate station (the fifth line), proceed through the exit A to the eastern gate.

Opening Hours and Visits

The majestic temple of Heaven (Beijing) is located in the park, which is open from six in the morning until 10 pm. However, the architectural masterpiece works from 8.00 to 17.00 in the winter and 17.30 in the summer. But the ticket office closes rather early - at 16.00, so it's best to come here in advance, so as not to rush to get acquainted with the main sights.

Tickets in high (April - October) and low (November - March) seasons are slightly different and are 35 and 30 yuan respectively. This amount includes the inspection of the park and shrine.

Now the Temple of Heaven (Beijing) is a popular place for rest and pleasant pastime. Here the townspeople gather, sing and play musicians, and in buildings various exhibitions are arranged. Arriving in China, it is necessary to visit the construction with incredible energy, where Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang unite.