The Temple of Heaven in Beijing 北京天坛

天坛位于北京天安门的东南。始建于明成祖永乐十八年（公元1420年），原名"天地坛"，是明清两代皇帝祭祀天地之神的地方，明嘉靖九年（公元1530年）在北京北郊另建祭祀地神的地坛，此处就专为祭祀上天和祈求丰收的场所，并改名为"天坛"。
The Temple of Heaven is located in the southeast of the Gate of Heavenly Peace in Beijing. First built in the 18th year during the reign of Yongle, Ming Dynasty (1420 A. D.), it was originally called The Altar of Heaven and Earth, wher emperors of Ming and Qing dynasties offered sacrifice to gods of heaven and earth. In the 9th years during the reign of Jiajing, Ming Dynasty, the Temple of Earth for worshipping the god of earth was constructed in the northern suburb of Beijing. Consequently, this place became a venue for offering sacrifice to heaven and praying for a bumper harvest and was thus renamed into the Temple of Heaven.
天坛的建筑设计十分考究，"圜丘"、"祈谷"两坛同建在一个园子内。圜丘坛在南部，是天神的地方。祈谷坛在北部，是祈求丰收的地方。依照古人的思想观念，认为天地的结构是"天圆地方"，因此天坛围墙平面南部为方形，象征地象，北部为圆形，象征天象，此墙俗称天地墙。天坛的主体建筑均集中在南北向的中轴线上，"圜丘"、"祈谷"两坛也在这条中轴线上，各个单体建筑之间用墙相隔，并由一座长360米，宽30米的石桥相连。
The construction and design of the Temple of Heaven were meticulous and exquisite: the two altars of heavenly mount and prayer for harvest were constructed in one garden. The altar of heavenly mount is located in the south and is for worshipping heaven while the altar of prayer for harvest is situated in the north and is a place for praying for a bumper harvest. According to the idea of ancient people, the structure of heaven and earth should be "round heaven and square earth". Therefore, the plan view of the wall is square in the south, signifying earth and round in the north, signifying heaven while the wall is also known as Wall of Heaven and Earth. The main structure of the Temple of Heaven is basically on the south-north axis, including the two altars. Each unit was surrounded by a wall and each was connected to the other by a stone bridge that was 360m long and 30m wide.
天坛的主体建筑是祈年殿，每年皇帝都在这里举行祭天仪式，祈祷风调雨顺、五谷丰登。祈年殿呈圆形，直径32米，高38米，是三重檐亭式圆殿，宝顶鎏金，碧蓝琉璃瓦盖顶；殿内九龙藻井极其精致，富丽堂皇，光彩夺目。大殿结构十分独特，不用大梁和长檩，檐顶以柱和枋桷承重，中央的四根立柱高19。2米，代表一年中的四季，外围两排各有12根柱子，分别代表十二月和十二时辰。大殿建于高6米的三层汉白玉石台上，使大殿产生出高耸云端的巍峨气势。
The main structure of the Temple of Heaven is the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest. Each year, the emperor would hold sacrifice-offering ceremonies praying for fine weather and good harvest. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest is a magnificent triple-gabled circular pavilion, 32m in diameter and 38m in height, built with a golden top and dark-blue roof of glazed tile. Inside, the nine-dragon caisson ceiling is exquisite, splendid and magnificent. The hall is of a unique structure built with no big beams or long purlins. The eaves rest on columns and rafters with four columns being 19.2m in center to symbolize the four seasons in a year and 12 columns in each row (two rows in total) outside to represent the twelve months and the twelve watches in day. The big hall was built on the six-meter-high, three-tier terrace of white marble, inspiring a sense of grandiosity.
斋宫在西天门内，是皇帝祭天前沐浴斋戒的地方。斋宫外围有两重"御沟"，四周以回廊163间环绕。正殿月台上有斋戒铜人亭和时辰牌位亭。铜人手持斋戒牌，传说是仿照唐代名臣魏征的形象铸造的。东北角的钟楼内高悬着明成祖永乐帝在位时制造的一口太和钟，皇帝祭天时，从斋宫起驾，开始鸣钟，到皇帝登上圜丘坛，钟声即止。祭祀典礼结束时钟声再起，宏亮的钟声为祭祖典礼大壮声威。
The Palace of Fast is inside the West Gate of Heaven, serving as a place of ablution and fast for the emperor before offering sacrifice to heaven. There are two rows of royal gutters outside the palace, and 163-unit circular corridor around the palace. On the platform of the main hall, there are a pavilion of bronze figure for fast and a pavilion of hour-tablets. The bronze figure holds the tablet of fast, which was cast allegedly after the distinguished official Wei Zheng of Tang Dynasty. In the bell tower in the northeast corner is hanging a bell of supreme harmony cast during the reign of Emperor Yongle in the Ming Dynasty. When the sacrifice is about to start, the emperor sets out from the Palace of Fast and the bells begin ringing and when His Majesty gets to the Altar of Circular Mount, the ringing ends. When the ceremony is over, the bells ring again, the resonant ringing adding to the grandeur and majesty of the event.
天坛共占地270万平方米，规模宏伟，富丽堂皇，是中国现存最大的古代祭祀性建筑群。它以严谨的规划布局，奇特的建筑结构，瑰丽的建筑装饰著称于世，不仅在中国建筑史上占有重要位置，也是世界建筑艺术的珍贵遗产。
Grand and magnificent, the Temple of Heaven occupies an area of 2.7 million square meters, looming as the largest ancient construction complex for sacrifice now existing in China. Its meticulous layout, unique structure, and pompous décor are all well-known in the world. It is not only an important masterwork in the Chinese history of architecture but also a rare relic among the world's art of architecture.