Another Conference Tour! The Temple of Heaven, a complex of religious buildings, was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. The number nine represents the Emperor and is everywhere in the design of this Circular Mound Altar where a single round plate is surrounded by a ring of nine plates, then a ring of 18 plates, and so on for a total of nine surrounding rings, the outer ring having 9×9 plates.
The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is a magnificent triple-gabled building, built on three levels of marble bases. The building is completely wooden, with no nails used in construction.
Inside one of the temples.
A silk factory was today's shopping opportunity and once again I left empty handed. The little white balls are the silk cocoons.
Next stop Tian'anmen Square, site of the 1989 massacre not mentioned in China. It is massive and the brochure says it's the largest square in the world. (Most things are the largest, biggest, tallest, longest etc). This is the Monument to the People's Heroes.
Mao's mausoleum on the square.
A great piece of monumental Communist sculpture.
These gardens soften the scene somewhat.
Gate tower to the Forbidden City, which faces one side of the square.
Joining the crowds inside the massive Forbidden City, the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It served as the home of emperors and their households, as well as the ceremonial and political centre of Chinese government for almost 500 years. It was built in 15th century and consists of 980 buildings. The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987 and is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.
The more of these dragons and creatures decorating the roofs in China the more important the building.
The Emperor's time piece.
Just to prove I was there!
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