Day Tour: Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven & Summer Palace (Highly Recommend)

Temple of Heaven

Feature:

The Temple of Heaven is located in the south of Beijing, covering an area of 2.73 million square metres.

Description:

The Temple of Heaven is the most holy of Beijing's Imperial temples, for this is where the emperor came every winter solstice to worship heaven and to pray solemnly for a good harvest. Since his rule was legitimised by a mandate from heaven, a bad harvest could be interpreted as his fall from heaven's favour and could threaten the stability of his reign. So, it was not without a measure of self-interest that the emperor fervently prayed for a very good crop.

In line with the Confucianism revival during the Ming dynasty, the sacred harvest ceremony was combined with the emperor's worship of his ancestors. This embellishment was also, in effect, self-interested. For according to the Confucian pattern of social organisation, just as the emperor respected his ancestors, so a younger brother should respect an elder brother, a wife her husband, a son his father, and a nation's subjects their ruler. Incorporating ancestor worship within the most solemn ceremony of the imperial ritual calendar indirectly reinforced the social philosophy that perpetuated the Emperor's power.

The design of the Temple of Heaven complex, true to its sacred purpose, reflects the mystical cosmological laws believed to be central to the workings of the universe. Hence, complex numerological permutations operate within its design. For example, because the number nine was considered to be the most powerful digit, you will see that the slabs that form the Circular Altar have been laid in multiples of nine. Similarly within the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, the interior twenty-eight columns are divided into four central pillars to represent the seasons, twelve inner columns to represent the months and twelve outer columns to represent the two-hour branches that make up a day. There are many such examples of this intense numerology at play.

Whereas in Imperial times commoners were not allowed to enter the enormous park, now, for a minimal fee, Chinese citizens can enjoy it all day long. Were you to visit at dawn, you'd be surprised by the number of people there performing their morning exercises. Next to an older person practising the slow and flowing movements of Tai Qi, there might be a younger one performing vigorous karate-like punches and kicks. One group might be learning the ancient martial art of sword fighting, while another might be practising a traditional dance. Should you have the energy and the inclination, it is well worth waking up early one morning and visiting this park to watch such events take place.

At the 1992's Evaluation of the World Wonders of Beijing Tourist attractions assessment, experts and scholars described the Temple of Heaven as 'the largest building complex for worshipping heaven in the world'. UNESCO placed the Temple of Heaven on the list of the World Cultural Heritage in 1998.

Summer Palace

The Summer Palace located ten kilometers to the northwest of Beijing and used to be a summer residence of Qing Dynasty emperors. It is now a public park. It is an imperial garden known far and wide for its architectural grandeur and stunning natural beauty.

Forbidden City

The Palace Museum, known as the Forbidden City, was the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties. In early 15th century, the capital of the Ming Dynasty was moved from Nanjing to Beijing. Twenty-four emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties ruled from the Forbidden City. The last dynasty fell in 1911, but emperor Puyi still lived in the inner court. It was not until 1925 that the complex was converted into a museum. Since then the palace has been opened to the public.