Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Don't Miss
Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests
祈年殿
祈年殿
The crowning structure of the complex is the supreme Hall of Prayer (
Qinian Dian
),
magnificently mounted on a three-tiered marble terrace and capped with a triple-eaved
umbrella roof of purplish-blue tiles. Amazingly, the wooden pillars support the ceiling
without nails or cement - quite an accomplishment for a building 38m high and 30m in
diameter.
Echo Wall
回音壁
回音壁
This 65m structure (
Huiyin Bi
) is no ordinary wall. Its unique acoustic properties mean
that a whisper will travel clearly from one end to the other. In the courtyard are the
Triple-
Sounds Stones
. It is said that if you clap or shout while standing on the stones, the sound
is echoed once from the first stone, twice from the second stone and thrice from the third
stone.
Round Altar
圜丘坛
圜丘坛
The 5m-high Round Altar (
Yuan Qiu Tan
) is arrayed in three tiers; its geometry revolves
around the imperial number nine. Odd numbers were considered heavenly, and nine is the
largest single-digit odd number. Stand in the centre of the upper terrace and say something
- the sound bounces off the marble balustrades, amplifying your voice.
The Park
One of the joys of a visit here is the chance to kick back in the park itself. There are
around 4000 ancient, knotted cypresses (some 800 years old, their branches propped up on
poles) providing much-needed shade. Typical of Chinese parks, the wild irregularity of
nature is largely eliminated, and the resulting order, balance and harmony has a somewhat
haunting beauty.
