Temple of Heaven

Located in southern Beijing amongst a vast complex of ancient sacrificial buildings, the Temple of Heaven was built for China’s emperors, to allow them to worship heaven. It has three shallow, cone-shaped levels to its roof which point up to the sky and seem to reflect it in their blue-glazed tiles. These shelter an enormous hall with a polished echo wall and a ‘Center of Heaven’ stone, which vibrates with the voice of whoever stands on it to speak. It contains two altars, the largest of which is 38 metres high.