Temple of Heaven
May 2nd, 2005
Imperial Emperors were regarded as the sons of heaven (Tian Tan) and since they derived their authority from heaven, temples and ceremonies to the heavens were important.
Built in 1420, the Temple of Heaven was used by the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties to worship the heavens and to carry out elaborate ceremonies to insure good harvests.
The temple was built without using any nails with trunks of trees brought from South China to use as columns. Surrounding the temples are acres of peaceful gardens where local people come to visit. I enjoyed watching them play cards, sing songs and act out plays.
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