Temple of Heaven

Temple of Heaven
The Temple of Heaven [wiki] is a Taoist temple in Beijing, the capital of China. The temple was constructed in 14th century by Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty (who also built the Forbidden City) as his personal temple, where he would pray for good harvest and to atone for the sins of his people.

The Temple's architecture is quite interesting: everything in the temple, which represents Heaven, is circular whereas the ground levels, which represent the Earth, are square.


The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest at the Temple of Heaven, Beijing.
Image: Saad Akhtar [wikipedia]


Close up of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, Temple of Heaven.
Image: star5112 [Flickr]


Details of the roof of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest. Image: werklife [Flickr]


Ceiling of the Imperial Vault, Temple of Heaven. Image: Carol^-^ [Flickr]

Chion-in Temple

Chion-in Temple
Chion-in Temple [wiki] was built in 1234 CE to honor the founder of Jodo (Pure Land) Buddhism, a priest named Honen, who fasted to death in the very spot. At one point in time, the complex had 21 buildings but due to earthquakes and fire, the oldest surviving building is from the 17th century.

Visitors to the Chion-in Temple must first pass through the largest gate in Japan: the two-story San-mon Gate. The temple bell is also a record setter: it weighs 74 tons and needs 17 monks to ring it during the New Year celebrations.

Another interesting feature of the Chion-in Temple is the "singing" floor of the Assembly Hall. Called a uguisu-bari or nightingale floor, the wooden planks were designed to creak at every footstep to alert the monks of intruders!


Chion-in Temple's Main Gate. Image: tgamblin [Flickr]


A building in the Chion-in Temple complex in winter time. Image: psychofish [Flickr]


Details of the Chion-in Temple roof. Notice a feudal family's crest stamped on the roof tiles, as a symbol of their patronage. Image: kuribo [Flickr]


Chion-in's Temple Bell. Image: Richard Seaman


The Nightingale Floor construction. Image: rygriffin333 [Flickr]