The Temple Buildings
Although you're more likely to enter the actual park from the north or the west, to appreciate the religious ensemble it's best initially to skirt round in order to follow the ceremonial route up from the south entrance, the Zhaohen Gate. The main pathway leads straight to the Round Altar , consisting of three marble tiers representing Man, Earth and (at the summit) Heaven. The tiers themselves are composed of blocks in various multiples of nine, which the Chinese saw as cosmologically the most powerful odd number, representing both Heaven and Emperor. The top terrace now stands bare, but the spot at its centre, where the Throne of Heaven was placed, was considered to be the middle of the Middle Kingdom - the very centre of the earth. Various acoustic properties are claimed for the surrounding tiers, and from this point it is said that all sounds are channelled straight upwards. To the east of the fountain, which was reconstructed after fire damage in 1740, are the ruins of a group of buildings used for the preparation of sacrifices. Directly ahead, the Imperial Vault of Heaven is an octagonal structure made entirely of wood, with a dramatic roof of dark blue glazed tiles. It is preceded by the so- called Echo Wall , said to be a perfect whispering gallery, although the unceasing cacophony of tourists trying it out makes it impossible to tell. The principal temple building - the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests , at the north end of the park - amply justifies all this build-up. It is, quite simply, a wonder. Made entirely of wood, without the aid of a single nail, the circular structure rises from another three-tiered marble terrace, to be topped by three blue-tiled roofs of harmonious proportions. Four compass-point pillars support the vault (in representation of the seasons), enclosed in turn by twelve outer pillars (for the months of the year and the watches of the day). The dazzling colours of the interior, surrounding the central dragon motif, make the pavilion seem ultra-modern; it was in fact entirely rebuilt, faithful to the Ming design, after the original was destroyed by lightning in 1889. The official explanation for this appalling omen was that it was divine punishment for a sacrilegious caterpillar which was on the point of reaching the golden ball on the hall's crest. Nonetheless, 32 court dignitaries paid with their heads. These days, the park is a popular venue for Chinese to sit, drink tea and play, but it's also easy to find peaceful seclusion in the large areas of park away from the temple proper, which vary from semi-wilderness to formal lawns. Old men gather with their caged birds and crickets, while from dawn onwards, the park is dotted with exponents of various forms of tai ji, some learning swordplay in organized classes while others are lost in solitary concentration among the groves of five-hundred-year-old thuja trees.
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