Description: Also known as the Altar of Heaven, this complex of Taoist buildings in southeast-central Beijing was used by the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies and celebrations. Built from 1406-1420 - the same period as the Forbidden City - the Temple features three beautiful groups of buildings. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is a triple-gabled circular structure over 100 feet in diameter and height, perched on a three-tiered marble stone base. The Hall features all wooden construction - there’s not one nail holding it together. South of the hall is the similar looking Imperial Vault of Heaven, a single-gabled circular building on a single level marble base, surrounded by the smooth Echo Wall, which can transmit sounds over long distances. Finally there’s the circular Mount Altar, an empty circular platform atop a three-tiered marble stone base, covered in carvings of dragons.
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