Photography Offering Baskets at the Yuanqiu Altar

A black-and-white photograph showing eight iron sacrificial baskets in the immediate vicinity of the Yuanqiu Altar (Yuanqiutan 圜丘壇), which literally means “Circular Hill Altar”. The baskets were used for the final burning of the remains of sacrificial animals. They were first fired in a ceramic kiln. Behind the sacrificial vessels are triple stone gates, called lingxing men 櫺星門, which provided access to the Yuanqiu Altar and are similar in appearance to the memorial pailou 牌樓.

The entire area around the Yuanqiu Altar is only a few hectares in size and is part of the 273-hectare Temple of Heaven complex, now located in southeastern Beijing. The winter ritual for worshipping heaven was different from the summer ritual. The end of the period of abstinence in the Hall of Fasting (Zhaigong 齋宮) and the beginning of the sacrificial ceremony at the Yuanqiu altar was heralded by the ringing of the Gulou Bell Tower 鼓樓 at this site. The nine-part ritual included the rites of reporting and bowing to heaven, libation, sacrifice, and ritual music of zhonghe shaoyue 中和韶樂 with dance. The last emperor to bow to heaven in the Temple of Heaven was Yuan Shikai 袁世凱 (reigned 1915–1916), who for several months tried in vain to revive the monarchy. This marked the end of a centuries-old tradition. Today, the Temple of Heaven is on the UNESCO World Heritage List, as it is the largest religious complex in the world.

The photograph is the 184th of 449 photographs of Beijing and its surroundings in the album of Ivan Skušek Jr., purchased during his stay in Beijing (1914–1920). In the handwritten inventory of the album, the photograph is referred to as Himmels-Tempel: Eiserne Opferkörbe. (DZ, MV)