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Probably the most stunning piece of architecture in Old Peking was not the Forbidden City, in spite of its grandeur and size, but the TEMPLE OF HEAVEN (Tian Tan) in the south of the city. The round hall which dominates the temple is unique in Chinese architecture and a wonder to behold.
The main altar, called the Qi Nian Dian (Hall of annual prayers), was visited by the emperor once a year on the day of the winter solstice to pray for good harvests. As the first rays of sun inched over the horizon, the emperor would offer animal, grain, and silk sacrifices to the gods. The ceremony was first performed by the Chinese emperors in the Zhou dynasty (1100-771 B.C.). The last person to perform the rites was General Yuan Shikai, the first president of the Republic, on December 23, 1914. To the west of the main altar is the Palace of Abstinance (Chai Gong), where the Emperor used to change into his ceremonial attire and fast for a night before performing the annual rites. There is a long walkway south from the main altar leading to a smaller but similarly-designed hall, known as the Huang Qiong Yu (Imperial Vault of the Universe).
To the south of the smaller hall is a huge circular open-air altar made of marble slabs called the Altar of Heaven. The number nine was considered to be the most powerful of the numbers, and the marble blocks that make up the altar are all in combinations of nine.
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It was designed and built in the Ming dynasty, but was virtually destroyed by fire in 1889 after being struck by lightning and had to be completely rebuilt.