What are the five great altars in Beijing?

Xiannongtan-Sacrificing the Xiannongshen

Every spring, the emperor will lead hundreds of cultural relics to sacrifice to the first agricultural g

What are the five great altars in Beijing?

Xiannongtan-Sacrificing the Xiannongshen

Every spring, the emperor will lead hundreds of cultural relics to sacrifice to the first agricultural god, praying for good weather and abundant crops.

Xiannongtan is located in the southwest of the Forbidden City. It was the place where emperors of Ming and Qing dynasties offered sacrifices to the former agricultural gods and held farming ceremonies. At the beginning of the famous Chuantan, the gods of Xiannong, Prince, Fengyun, Thunderstorm, Wuyue, Wuzhen, Hayes, Sidu and Zhongshan were all enshrined together, and Tianshou Mountain was also enshrined under Zhongshan.

Xiannongtan is an ancient sacrificial farm with the highest rank, the largest scale and the most complete preservation in China. The existing main buildings of the main building include Taizui Hall, Xiannong Altar, Shenchu Library, Guangeng Terrace, Display Hall, Qingcheng Palace, Shencang, sacrificial vessel library and altar.

The China Ancient Architecture Exhibition, which has its own system in the history of world architecture, is displayed in the Ancient Architecture Museum of Xiannongtan, so that all the buildings in Xiannongtan become part of the exhibition, allowing you to experience the charm of national culture and art better.

Temple of Heaven-Sacrificing to God

On the solstice of winter, the emperor sacrificed to heaven in the Temple of Heaven. The ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven is usually presided over by the "Emperor of Heaven", which embodies China people's reverence for nature and expresses their desire to pray for good weather in the world. The solstice in winter "symbolizes the rise of cathode and the growth of all things". This "ritual of offering sacrifices to heaven" is a metaphor for today, which means national rejuvenation and sharing happiness with the people.

The Temple of Heaven is located in the southeast of the Forbidden City, which is symmetrical with the Xiannongtan. It used to be a place where emperors of Ming and Qing Dynasties offered sacrifices to gods. The Temple of Heaven was built in Yongle period of Ming Dynasty, and after continuous expansion, it was finally built in Qianlong period.

The main buildings in the Temple of Heaven are the Hall of Prayer for the New Year, the Dome, the Imperial Dome, the Zhai Palace, the Divine Music Department and the Sacrifice Center. The Temple of Heaven is divided into an inner altar and an outer altar. The inner altar consists of two parts: a mound and a prayer altar.

Worship the sun god

The vernal equinox avoids a day at the altar.

Beijing Ritan, also known as Asahi altar, is the place where emperors of Ming and Qing dynasties sacrificed to the sun god. The altar was built in Jiajing period of Ming Dynasty, and most of it was destroyed before 1949. 195 1 year later, it began to expand and eventually became today's landscape. The main buildings of Ritan are Asahi altar, kitchen, bell tower, clothing hall and so on.

Yuetan Park-Sacrifice to the Moon and Stars

The autumn equinox sacrifices the moon, the moon altar.

Yuetan Park is located in the west of the Forbidden City. Originally named "Xiyuetan", Yuetan was the place where the Ming and Qing emperors sacrificed the night gods (the moon) and the stars in the sky at the autumn equinox. The moon altar was destroyed and later restored, so there are a lot of ancient ruins and new attractions.

The Moon Altar is divided into South Garden and North Garden. The North Park is characterized by ancient buildings with red bricks and green tiles and regular roads. Nanyuan Garden is a natural landscape garden with rock pools and winding garden roads.

Ditan-the god who sacrificed to the emperor

On the summer solstice, sacrifice to the ground on the altar.

Ditan, located in the north of the Forbidden City, is the second largest altar among the five altars. It is the place where emperors of Ming and Qing Dynasties offered sacrifices to emperors' gods, and it is also the largest existing altar offering sacrifices to gods in China. The whole building is designed according to the traditions and symbols of ancient China, such as "the sky is round and the place is round" and "the sky is blue and the land is yellow".

With the arrival of autumn, Ditan is in its best season, and the Ginkgo Avenue in Ditan attracts many people to watch it.

The main existing buildings are Fangzetan, Forbidden City, Zhai Palace and Shenku.