one of the triple Ling Xing gates
looking back to the Hall of Prayer
here you can buy resfreshments
here you can give tired feet a rest
looking back to the Hall of Prayer
the Imperial Vault building stands 19 meters high on a marble platform
a peek inside the Imperial Vault area, loaded with people
the Ling Xing gates let you pass through the circular and square wall
looking north towards the Imperial Vault
in 2004 the ChengZhen Gate is in need of some fresh paint
the Altar to Heaven in the Temple of Heaven
The
Imperial Vault and the two Annex Halls housed the sacret tablets used during the worship ceremonies. It is surrounded with
a circular Echo Wall.
The Altar to Heaven is a marble circular platform with in its center the Heavenly Center
Stone, where the emperor worshipped Heaven at the winter solstice.
The Altar is surrounded by a circular inner wall (heaven)
and a square outerwall.
Four monumental triple gated archways give access to the Altar.
We visited here in 1991 and on a
very crowded day in May 2004.
a view through the south gate of the Hall of Prayer
on the Vermilion Steps Bridge
the walkway gently drops a few meters when you walk from Heaven to Earth
approaching the Echowall that surrounds the Imperial Vault
the East Annex Hall
we are not alone
