Photography Pavillion on the Platform at the Temple of Agriculture

A black-and-white photograph showing a pavilion on a sacrificial platform located in the smaller complex of the Temple of Agriculture (Taisuidian 先農壇). It 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 most important ritual was the emperor’s symbolic ploughing of the first furrow for the new sowing season. On the day of the spring equinox, the emperor, accompanied by a procession of royal servants and officials, set out from his palace in the Forbidden City to the Outer City (Waicheng 外城) and entered the Temple of Agriculture. The last emperor to pay homage 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 186th 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: Pavillion auf der Opferterasse. (DZ, MV)