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The Temple of Heaven served as the venue for emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties to worship heaven and pray for good harvests. Covering 273 hectares, it stands as one of China's largest surviving ancient sacrificial architectural complexes. Its structures vividly demonstrate the unique artistic expressions of symbolism and allegory in ancient Chinese architecture. A remarkable feature of the Temple of Heaven is its ingenious integration of architecture with acoustics. The construction of the Echo Wall, Triple-Sound Stones, and Yuanqiutan showcases exquisite acoustic applications, fully demonstrating the advanced level of ancient Chinese architectural craftsmanship.
The Temple of Heaven is the collective name for the Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests and Yuanqiutan, surrounded by double altar walls that divide the area into inner and outer sections, both featuring a circular northern part and a square southern part to symbolize the concept of "the sky is round and the earth is square."