Imperial Vault of Heaven (Beijing, China) : West Annex building, entrance stairs

Creator:

Ming Shizong, Emperor of China, 1507-1566
Qianlong, Emperor of China, 1711-1799

Published/Created:

Southeastern part of central Beijing; Tiantan Rd. and Qinnian St., North Gate, Beijing, Beijing Shi, municipality, China
1530 ; 1752 (alteration)

Physical Description:

19.2 m (height); 15.6 m (diameter)

Date Depicted:

6/5/2009

Materials:

marble; painted wood; stone; ceramic tile roof

Notes:

A single-gabled circular building, built on a single level of marble stone base. It is located south of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests and resembles it, but is smaller. It is surrounded by a smooth circular wall, the Echo Wall (3.7 m high, 193 m circumference), that can transmit sounds over large distances. Built in 1530 during the Ming Dynasty reign of Emperor Jiajing (Ming Shizong or Zhu Houcong); rebuilt in present form in 1752 by Emperor QianLong (Qing dynasty). The east and west annexes and the vault inside the Echo Wall compound were used to hold divine tablets of various gods worshipped at the Circular Mound Altar, spirit tablets of ancestors, and other ceremonial objects.

Variant Titles:

皇穹宇

Topics:

Architecture -- China -- 16th century -- (YVRC)
Architecture -- China -- 18th century -- (YVRC)

Period/Style:

Ming dynasty, 1368-1644
Qing dynasty, 1644-1912

Culture:

Chinese

Accession Number:

1A2-CH-B-AH-B66

Genre:

architecture (AAT)
religious buildings: temples (AAT)

Format:

Image

Content Type:

Sculptures, Models, & Architecture

Rights:

Copyright Scott Gilchrist, Archivision, Inc
The use of this image may be subject to the copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) or to site license or other rights management terms and conditions. The person using the image is liable for any infringement.

Access Restrictions:

Yale Community Only

Digital:

buildings; religious buildings; temples

Source Creator:

Gilchrist, Scott

Source Title:

Archivision Addition Module Eight

Source Created:

2878 Chamonix, Montreal QC
Archivision, Inc.
6/5/2009 12:00:00 AM

Source Note:

Purchase, Visual Resources Collection, May, 2013; photographer Scott Gilchrist

Yale Collection:

Visual Resources Collection

Digital Collection:

Visual Resources Collection

Local Record Number:

4654

OID:

10900034

PID:

digcoll:1810519