The temple’s main building is the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, where the emperor prayed for a bountiful crop each year. The round hall, 38 meters high and 30 meters in diameter, has triple eaves and a blue, cone-shaped tile roof crowned with a gilded knob. Surrounding the hall is a 6 meter high circular stone terrace with three levels, each edged with a balustrade of carved white marble. Without the use of steel, cement, nail, or even big beams and crossbeams, the entire structure is supported by 28 massive wooden pillars and a number of bars, laths, joints and rafters. The furnishings within the hall are still in their original positions from Emperor Xianfeng’s era. In the forefront and above the throne are tablets enshrined in honor of Heaven. On either table on each side are tablets of the emperor’s ancestors. Each tablet is fronted by an altar. A total of 24 kinds of offering were made on the altar, including soup, wine, assorted grains, and calf. The feudal monarchs and their sacrificial rites have long vanished into history. However, this group of magnificent and lofty structures stands as a fine testament to the ingenuity of the ancient Chinese and a piece of mankind’s cultural heritage.
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