1、（Afterself-introduction）preservedculturalheritagesofChina 。Therearebasicallytwokindsofvisitorswhocomehere:localpensionerswhodoexerciseshereinthemorningandeveningandsightseersbothfromhomeandabroad。Allinall，thereare12millionvisitorsveryyear。Nowwearegoingtogoalongtheroutethatleadstothealter。Itwilltaker
2、oughlyonehour。Mindyou，theemperoralsowalkedalongthisroutetopaytributetotheGodofHeaven。（AlongtheSouthernSacredRoadleadingtotheCircularMoundAltar）ThelargestgroupofarchitecturesevertobededicatedtoHeaven，theTempleofHeavenservedasanexclusivealtarforChinesemonarchsduringtheMingandQingdynasties。Itwasdecreed
3、thatrulersofsuccessivedynastieswouldplacealtarsintheirowncapitalstoworshipHeavenandprayforgoodharvest 。Butwhy?TheancientChinesebelievedthatHeavenwasthesupremeruleroftheuniverseandthefateofmankind，andthusworshipingritesdedicatedtoHeavencameintobeing。TheHeaventheancientChinesereferredtowasactuallytheU
4、niverse，ornature 。Inthosedays，therewerespecificritesofworship 。ThiswasespeciallytrueduringtheMingandQingdynastieswhenelaborateceremonieswereheld。TheTempleofHeavenwasbuiltin1420duringthereignofEmperorYongleoftheMingDynasty 。Situatedinthesouthernpartofthecity，thisgrandsetofstructurescoversanareaof273h
5、ectares。Tobettersymbolizeheavenandearth，thenorthernpartoftheTempleiscircularwhilethesouthernpartissquare 。Thewholecompoundisenclosedbytwowalls，asquarewalloutsidearoundone。Theouterareaischaracterizedbysuburbanscenery，whiletheinnerpartisusedforsacrifices。TheinnerenclosureconsistsoftheHallofPrayerforGo
6、odHarvestand（AlongtheImperialPassageleadingfromtheSouthernLatticeStarGateinfrontoftheCircularMoundAltar）TheCircularMoundAltarisenclosedbytwowalls，eachcontainingfourgroupsofSouthernLatticeStarGate，eachinturnconsistingofthreedoors，with24marbledoorsaltogether。Standingonthepassagefacingnorth，youwillnoti
7、cethatwitheachpairofdoorsonisnarrowerthantheother。Thisreflectsthefeudalhierarchy:thewiderdoorwasreservedformonarchs，whilethenarroweronewasusedbycourtiers。Onthedayoftheceremony，theemperorwoulddonhisritualcostumeandbeusheredinbytheofficialinchargeofreligiousaffairs。Heascendedthethreeterracesintheforef
8、ronttopaytributeatthealter。（AtoptheCircularMoundAlter）wearenowonthetopterraceoftheAltar，orthethirdterrace 。Eachterracehasaflightof9steps。Atthecenterofthisterraceliesaroundstonesurroundedby9steps 。Atthecenterofthisterraceliesaroundstonesurroundedby9concentricringsofstone 。Thenumberofstonesinthefirstringis9，inthesecond，18，upto81inthe9thring 。Eventhenumberofcarvedbalustradesontheseterracesisamultipleo f9。Butwhy?
