China Beijing Qinian Hall

The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is located in thein the northern part of the Temple of Heaven Park in Beijing. Also known as the Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests, it was the venue for the Spring Prayer Ceremony for a Good Harvest. It was built in the 18th year of the Yongle reign (1420) and is the earliest building in the Temple of Heaven.It was destroyed by lightning in the 15th year of the Guangxu reign (1889), and the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests we see today was later restored to its original appearance.The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is the iconic building of the Temple of Heaven. Just seeing it makes you think of the Temple of Heaven and Beijing.The altar of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is a circular building combining altar and hall, built according to the ancient saying “offer sacrifices to the emperor under the roof”.The lower part of the Temple of Prayer for Good Harvests is the altar, which has three tiers and is 5.6 meters high. The hall is round, 32.7 meters in diameter and 38 meters high, with a triple eaves pyramid roof covered with gilt copper blue tiles, which are successively recessed, giving the whole building a beautiful, magnificent and majestic appearance.The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is supported by 28 large pillars made of golden phoebe wood. The pillars are arranged in a circle, with the four in the inner circle representing the four seasons, the 12 in the middle circle representing the 12 months, and the 12 in the outer circle representing the 12 earthly branches and the constellations of the week.The beams and rafters in the hall are painted with dragon and phoenix designs.In addition to the main building, the altar of the Qinian Hall, there are also the Huangqian Hall, the east and west side halls, the Qinian Gate, the kitchen of the gods, the sacrificial pavilion, the long corridor, etc. In the square to the south of the long corridor are the Seven Star Stones, which were placed during the Jiajing period as a stone talisman.