Sights with Stories in Old Beijing [antikvár]

:( ' I ¦ e of Heaven The Temple of Heaven Park, the largest remaining group of temple buildings in China, is in the southern ' district of Beijing. Its construction began In the fourth year (1406) of the reign of Yongle of the Ming Dynasty and ended in the eighteenth year (1420). It was the place where em- , perors of the Ming and Qing dynasties worshipped and prayed for good harvests. At first it had separate altars of earth and heaven. It adopted its present name during the Jiajing Period of the Ming Dynasty. .-im « sSjti^ It has inner and outer altars. Its wall is circular in the north representing heaven, and square in the south representing earth, according to the age-old Chinese saying that Heaven is round and Earth square. The outer altar has fruit trees and gardens, while the inner altar has most of ^ the buildings — the Altar for Grain Prayers in the north, the Circular Mound in the south and the Hall of Abstinence inside the western gate. A 360-metre raised causeway connects the Altar for Grain Prayers and the Altar of the Mound. .ik '51 i kt %