Photography Panoramic View of the Yuanqiu Altar at the Temple of Heaven

A black-and-white photograph, a wide-angle view of the scene around the Yuanqiu Altar (Yuanqiutan 圜丘壇), which literally means “Circular Hill Temple”. The altar stands on a fenced area of several hectares in the southern part of the Temple of Heaven complex (Tiantan 天壇). It was built in 1420 by the Yongle Emperor (reigned 1402–1424). Here the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties performed the rites of heaven worship twice a year. At the site of the Yuanqiu Altar, on the day of the winter solstice, the emperor performed rituals of thanking heaven for its favours in the past year.

The Yuanqiu Altar with its access consists of three circular tiers forming three platforms with balustrades, totaling just over 5 metres in height. There are 9 steps leading up to each platform, regardless of how high each platform is. The radius of the lower platform is almost 55 metres, while that of the upper one is almost 24 metres. The upper platform is paved in concentric circles. In the centre there is a round plate, around which a ring of nine stone plates is arranged, followed by a new circle of 18 plates and so on to the ninth circle of 81 plates. The same principle is applied to the central and lower platforms. The central panel was the place from which the emperor reported to heaven. Because of the central location of the panel in relation to the balustrades and ramparts, the reporting was heard as a polyphonic echo. Thus, the sound of the reporting ascended to heaven. This geometry of the space, the acoustic thoughtfulness, as well as the exceptionality of the architecture, which lifts people to the sky and gives them a sense of vastness, create a truly magical atmosphere.

The Yuanqiu Altar is surrounded entirely by a courtyard enclosed in a square wall. The outer passages to the four cardinal directions are marked by the first trio of Lingxing Men Gates 櫺星門. This is followed by the second trio, which allows passage through another circular wall called the “echo wall” huyin bi 回音壁. These eight groups of doors with characteristic cloud inlays on the top formed the so-called “Gate of Clouds and Endurance” Yunmenyuli 雲門玉立. The middle gate was for heaven, the smaller left gate was for the emperor, and the right gate was for the servants. On the left-hand side of the photo are three 29-metre high poles, on which lighted lanterns were raised and lowered to announce the emperor’s ascent to the sacrificial platform and his descent.

The symbolic meaning and purpose of the use of circular shapes and the number nine come from different traditions. Firstly, the circle symbolises the sky. This complements the square which symbolises the earth. The motif of square and circle as a symbol of harmonious creation is widespread in Chinese culture. This is why round temples stand on square platforms. The number nine as the highest one-digit odd number is part of the principle of yin and yang (yin yang 陰陽) i.e., sun, male principle, and emperor.

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 181st 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: Hauptaltar. (DZ, MV)