Photography Hall for Tools at the Temple of Agriculture

A black-and-white photograph showing a tool hall with six iron sacrificial vessels in the Temple of Agriculture (Taisuidian 先農) complex in Beijing. The complex was built in 1420 by the Yongle emperor (reigned 1402–1424). Here the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties held rituals once a year for annual worship. The main ritual was the emperor’s symbolic ploughing of the first furrow for the new sowing. On the right-hand side is a modest outbuilding, with a higher building on the left: one of the ceremonial halls, probably the Taisui Hall (Taisuidian 太歲殿), which literally means “supreme year”. Both halls are built using the traditional Chinese construction technique, the dougong 斗拱 system, but differ in decoration. As well as having richer dowels in the eaves, the ritual hall has several decorative figures on the roof and decorated walls under the eaves. In the courtyard there are six metal bowls for fire in a symmetrical circle.

On the day of the vernal equinox, the emperor, accompanied by a procession of royal servants and officials, went from his palace in the Forbidden City to the Outer City (Waicheng 外城) and entered the Temple of Agriculture. Here he prepared for, performed and celebrated the sacrificial rituals. The last emperor to pay homage to the year here was Emperor Guangxu (reigned 1875–1908). This marked the end of a centuries-old tradition. After that, the buildings of the complex were used for military and industrial purposes. Renovation and restoration work began in 2001, when the complex was placed under state protection. Since 1991, the complex has been open to the public as the Beijing Museum of Classical Architecture Beijing Gudai Jianzhu Bowuguan 北京夏令建築博物館.

The photograph is the 187th 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 Ackerbau-Tempel: Geräte-Halle. (DZ, MV)