See? No People!
The Temple of Heaven is truly a magnificent piece of architecture. The Ming emperors sure know how to make everything grand. Imagine making an altar that looks like this. The altar is set on top of a three level terrace. The terrace itself is set on top of a barely perceptible mound. I didn’t even notice this until I read about it. Obviously, putting the temple at the top of the mount signifies its importance. The temple itself has three levels with each level having a smaller diameter.
Walking Up the Temple of Heaven 天坛
I was initially intrigued by the wires I see underneath the roof and near sharp edges. It was as if they were meant to keep out something. I don’t think it is meant to keep out human but rather it was meant to keep out birds. It would not be nice of the birds made a nest in these precious buildings in the process ruining the centuries old temple. The wires aren’t really that obvious but the observant should be able to notice them.
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