The Temple of Heaven (TianTan), Beijing, China (100 photos) part 3

The Three Main Structures of the Temple of Heaven

天坛的三个主要建筑

Three principle structures lie along the primary north-south axis of the Temple of Heaven complex : the Altar to Heaven, the Imperial Vault of Heaven and the Temple of Heaven.

在这个南北中轴上有三个主要的建筑物。

The Altar to Heaven

圜丘坛

The Altar to Heaven.

Approaching the Altar to Heaven. A triple set of 'LingXing Gates' can be seen in the foreground.

Within the walled square yard is a circular wall. Both inner and outer walls contain four sets of three gates that resemble monumental archways. These are known as the 'LingXing Gates' and are made of white marble.

在方形的围墙里是一个圆形的围墙。在这两个围墙上东西南北四个方向都分别有三道那种有纪念意义的拱门。这些门被称作“棂星门”是由汉白玉雕制的。

At the southern end is the Altar to Heaven (also known as the 'Circular Mound'), an empty three-tiered plinth that rises 5 meters from a square yard.

在南边的尽头是祭天用的坛（被称为圜丘），一个比外面正方形的围墙高出5米的中空的三层基座。

Here, we can see the inner circular wall inside the square outer wall.

Constructed in 1530 and rebuilt in 1740, it is made of white marble. The altar was used to worship heaven at the winter solstice.

圜丘始建于1530年1740年重修，栏板、望柱、出水嘴均有汉白玉制作而成。是过去在冬至时用来祭天的。

The Altar of Heaven, the Temple of Heaven.
The Altar of Heaven.

Looking sideways on the middle tier of the altar.

To the southeast of the Clircular Mound Altar lies a stove built of green glazed bricks. It was used to burn the sacrifices offered to the heaven. The eight iron-made stoves to the heaven. The eight iron-made stoves to the northeast of the stove were used to burn the sacrifices offered to the ancestors of the emperor.

圜丘坛东南角有一座燔柴炉，由绿色琉璃砖建成，是焚烧供奉给皇天上帝的各种供品的地方。其东北角有八座铁制廖炉，用来焚烧供奉给皇帝祖先的各种供品。

Standing on the Heavenly Center Stone on top of the Altar to Heaven.
The first ring of consists of 9 stones, the 'magical' highest value digit. Then 18, 27 etc.

The number of stones in the various concentric tiers are all multiples of nine - a prevailing numerological theme at the Temple of Heaven. The number nine, being the highest value digit, symbolically represented the emperor.

Around the center stone is a ring of nine stones slabs. The next ring has 18 slabs; the next 27. There are nine rings in all, with 9 x 9 =81 slabs in the outermost ring. Thenumbers of the railing boards and balustrades are also the multiple of nine, all symbolic figures of the astronomical phenomena.

The central stone is called the Heavenly Center Stone. It is said that the voice of a person standing there sounds especially resonant and sonorous.

许多地方的石头都的排列都是9的倍数——这是天坛的最大的特色。数字九是最高的实数，也指九五至尊的天子。

围绕着中心的圆石，外铺扇面形石板九块，第二圈是18块，第三圈27。总共有九圈，最外圈有九九＝八十一块。栏板、望柱也都是用九或九的倍数，象征“天数”。

中心的圆石叫做“天心石”。据说站在石头上讲话，声音会变得特别有扩音效果。

The view north towards the Imperial Vault with the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests beyond.