Heritage with Related Tags
Hopewell Ceremonial Earth Building
The site consists of eight massive earthen structures located along a tributary of the middle Ohio River dating from 1600-2000. They are the most representative surviving representation of the indigenous tradition now known as the Hopewell culture. Their precise geometric figures and large, neatly-formed tops reflect their scale and complexity. They are aligned with the solar cycle and the more complex lunar cycle. These earthen buildings were ritual centers, and exquisite ritual objects made of rare materials obtained from afar have been unearthed.
Temple of Heaven: an Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing
The Temple of Heaven was built in the first half of the 15th century. It is a stately complex of exquisite sacrificial buildings set in gardens and surrounded by a historic pine forest. The overall layout of the Temple of Heaven and the arrangement of its individual buildings symbolize the relationship between heaven and earth (between humans and gods) that is central to Chinese cosmology, and the special role that the emperor played in this relationship.
Imperial Ancestral Temple
The Imperial Ancestral Temple is located in the southeast of the Forbidden City, and is symmetrically arranged with the Altar of Land and Grain along the central axis of Beijing. This layout emphasizes the importance of ritual traditions in the planning of the capital and strengthens the orderly urban landscape. The Imperial Ancestral Temple complex faces south and is in a regular rectangular courtyard, surrounded by the inner wall and the outer wall to form a double-ring courtyard. The main sacrificial buildings are all located in the inner wall, symmetrically distributed in the center. The sacrifice site is set up in the southeast of the outer wall. There are ancient cypresses planted in the outer wall, with 714 existing trees, creating a solemn atmosphere. The core sacrificial buildings of the Imperial Ancestral Temple are distributed in the inner wall area, from south to north, they are the Glazed Gate, the Golden Water Bridge, the Ji Gate, the Imperial Ancestral Temple Hall, the Sleeping Hall and the Peach Temple. The east and west side halls, the well pavilion, the kitchen and the storehouse are symmetrically arranged on both sides. The Hall of Sacrifice, located on a three-story Xumi pedestal, is particularly majestic and grand. As a place for the royal family of the Ming and Qing dynasties to worship their ancestors, the Imperial Ancestral Temple not only reflects the cultural tradition of "ruling the world with filial piety", but also symbolizes the legitimacy of the dynasty's ruling power being passed on within the family. It became the highest-level ancestral temple sacrificial building in China during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The construction of the three core buildings of the Imperial Ancestral Temple is closely related to the ancestral temple system. The Hall of Enjoyment is the place where the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties held ancestral worship ceremonies. The side halls on the east side are used to enshrine the tablets of the meritorious royal family, and the side halls on the west side are used to enshrine the tablets of meritorious officials. The Sleeping Hall is where the tablets of ancestors are placed on weekdays; the Tao Temple is the place where the tablets of the emperor's distant ancestors are enshrined. Today, the Imperial Ancestral Temple is open to the public as the Cultural Palace of the Working People, and cultural activities such as garden tours, performances, training, and exhibitions are held for the public. The Imperial Ancestral Temple was first built in the 18th year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty (1420). When it was first built, the Hall of Enjoyment and the Sleeping Hall were built in the inner wall. In the fourth year of Hongzhi in the Ming Dynasty (1491), the Tao Temple was built to the north of the Sleeping Hall. Later, due to the change of the national sacrificial system during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, the Imperial Ancestral Temple was newly built on the east and west sides of the inner wall of the Imperial Ancestral Temple in the 15th year of Jiajing (1536). It was later burned down by thunder and fire, and rebuilt in the 24th year of Jiajing (1545), restoring the original "same hall, different rooms" system. The planning pattern of the Imperial Ancestral Temple of the Ming Dynasty was used in the Qing Dynasty. After 1925, the Imperial Ancestral Temple was managed by the Forbidden City Museum. After the 1950s, the Imperial Ancestral Temple was opened to the public as the Beijing Working People's Cultural Palace, and cultural activities such as garden tours, performances, training, and exhibitions were held for the public and have been used to this day.
Beijing Zhongshan Park
Located on the west side of Tiananmen Square, Zhongshan Park is close to Jinshui Bridge, the Forbidden City and Zhongnanhai. It covers an area of 23.8 hectares and is a memorial temple garden. Beijing Zhongshan Park was listed as a national key cultural relic protection unit in 1988. The location of the park was originally an ancient temple in the Tang Dynasty and Wanshou Xingguo Temple in the Yuan Dynasty. The Sheji Altar in the park symbolizes the imperial power, the land and the national harvest. It is the place where feudal emperors worship the earth god. In addition, there are ancient sacrificial buildings such as the Five-Colored Soil Altar, the God Kitchen, the God Storehouse, and the Animal Slaughter Pavilion in the park. Zhongshan Park was originally called Central Park and is the first public garden in Beijing. Zhongshan Park has a superior geographical location and beautiful scenery. Therefore, it has become the most popular tourist attraction. It is a gathering place for people from all walks of life and social groups in Beijing. Even celebrities such as Li Dazhao, Ba Jin, and Lu Xun have gathered here to drink tea. In 1925, Mr. Sun Yat-sen passed away. The worship hall in the park was used for public sacrifice. In order to commemorate Mr. Sun Yat-sen, the park was officially renamed Zhongshan Park. Afterwards, the park built the waterside pavilion, the Pine and Cypress Pavilion, the Maxim Pavilion, the Tanghuawu, etc. After the founding of New China, new scenic spots such as Yuyuan and Lai Jin Yuxuan were built.