(InsidetheSouthGateoftheTempleofHeaven)LadiesandGentlemen:WelcometotheTempleofHeaven.(Afterself-introduction)preservedculturalheritagesofChina.Therearebasicallytwokindsofvisitorswhocomehere:localpensionerswhodoexerciseshereinthemorningandeveningandsightseersbothfromhomeandabroad.Allinall,thereare12millionvisitorsveryyear.Nowwearegoingtogoalongtheroutethatleadstothealtar.Itwilltakeroughlyonehour.Mindyou,theemperoralsowalkedalongthisroutetopaytributetotheGodofHeaven.(AlongtheSouthernSacredRoadleadingtotheCircularMoundAltar)ThelargestgroupofarchitecturesevertobededicatedtoHeaven,theTempleofHeavenservedasanexclusivealtarforChinesemonarchsduringtheMingandQingdynasties.ItwasdecreedthatrulersofsuccessivedynastieswouldplacealtarsintheirowncapitalstoworshipHeavenandprayforgoodharvest.Butwhy?TheancientChinesebelievedthatHeavenwasthesupremeruleroftheuniverseandthefateofmankind,andthusworshipingritesdedicatedtoHeavencameintobeing.TheHeaventheancientChinesereferredtowasactuallytheUniverse,ornature.Inthosedays,therewerespecificritesofworship.ThiswasespeciallytrueduringtheMingandQingdynastieswhenelaborateceremonieswereheld.TheTempleofHeavenwasbuiltin1420duringthereignofEmperorYongleoftheMingDynasty.Situatedinthesouthernpartofthecity,thisgrandsetofstructurescoversanareaof273hectares.Tobettersymbolizeheavenandearth,thenorthernpartoftheTempleiscircularwhilethesouthernpartissquare.Thewholecompoundisenclosedbytwowalls,asquarewalloutsidearoundone.Theouterareaischaracterizedbysuburbanscenery,whiletheinnerpartisusedforsacrifices.TheinnerenclosureconsistsoftheHallofPrayerforGoodHarvestandtheCircularMoundAltar.(AlongtheImperialPassageleadingfromtheSouthernLatticeStarGateinfrontoftheCircularMoundAltar)TheCircularMoundAltarisenclosedbytwowalls,eachcontainingfourgroupsofSouthernLatticeStarGate,eachinturnconsistingofthreedoors,with24marbledoorsaltogether.Standingonthepassagefacingnorth,youwillnoticethatwitheachpairofdoorsonisnarrowerthantheother.Thisreflectsthefeudalhierarchy:thewiderdoorwasreservedformonarchs,whilethenarroweronewasusedbycourtiers.1Onthedayoftheceremony,theemperorwoulddonhisritualcostumeandbeusheredinbytheofficialinchargeofreligiousaffairs.Heascendedthethreeterracesintheforefronttopaytributeatthealtar.(AtoptheCircularMoundAlter)WearenowonthetopterraceoftheAltar,orthethirdterrace.Eachterracehasaflightof9steps.Atthecenterofthisterraceliesaroundstonesurroundedby9steps.Atthecenterofthisterraceliesaroundstonesurroundedby9concentricringsofstone.Thenumberofstonesinthefirstringis9,inthesecond,18,upto81inthe9thring.Eventhenumberofcarvedbalustradesontheseterracesisamultipleof9.Butwhy?AccordingtoancientChinesephilosophy,yinandyangweretwoopposingfactors.HeavenandtheoddnumbersbelongedtoyangwhiletheEarthandevennumbersbelongedtoyin.Ninewasthelargestheavenlynumberaccessibletoman.Whatismore,theancientpeoplealsobelievedthatheavenconsistedofninelayersandthattheemperor`sabodewasontheuppermosttier.Oncemorelookattheroundstoneinthecenter.Theupperterraceisninezhang(aChineseunitoflength,onezhangequals3.3meters)incircumference,whilethemiddleis15zhang,thelower,21zhang.Classifiedasyangnumbers,thesumofthesenumeralsis45zhangwhichwasmeanttosymbolizedsuccess.Whatismore,byapplyingtheconceptofoddnumbersandstrengtheningnineanditsmultiples,theconceptofheavenwasthusillustratedandrealized.Theconceptofninewillalsobement...
