Temple of Heaven

views updated May 21 2018

Temple of Heaven. The Hall of Annual Prayers in Bei-jing (Peking), where the ‘Sons of Heaven’, the Chinese emperors, received the Mandate of Heaven (tʾien-ming) to rule. It goes back to the Ming dynasty (1368–1661), and is built in a spacious park outside the (former) Forbidden City. An annual sacrifice of burnt offerings was performed here by the emperor, at the time of the winter solstice.