The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, at the Temple of Heaven, a major landmark in downtown
Beijing, re-opened to visitors on Saturday after being closed for
renovations for nearly a year.
The repair work started last May and was completed with an
investment of 47 million yuan (US$5.8 million), according to the
Temple of Heaven administration.
The work has restored the Prayer Hall's imperial appearance to
that of the reign of Emperor Guangxu (1875-1908) when the ancient
structure underwent a major re-construction, said manager Yang
Xiaodong. This is the third time the hall has been repaired since
the reconstruction. The last occasion was in 1971.
The lofty, round structure with triple eaves and a cone-shaped,
deep blue tiled roof, crowned with a gilded knob is 38 meters high
and 30 meters in diameter.
The structure rests on 28 massive wooden pillars without any use
of modern materials such as steel, cement or even cross
beams. It’s a legendary landmark in the history of Chinese
architecture.
The Prayer Hall is the main building of the Temple of Heaven, a
designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, which covers an area of
273 hectares.
Built in 1420 during the reign of Emperor Yongle of the Ming
Dynasty (1368-1644) the temple remained a holy place where emperors
of the Ming and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties worshipped and prayed
for good harvests.
(Xinhua News Agency April 30, 2006)
