When China's imperial1 court moved from Nanjing to Beijing during the Ming Dynasty in 1420, sites were required for supplication to the gods. Temples were built in the four cardinal2 directions: to the sun, the moon, the Earth, and in grandest style, Heaven. The Temple of Heaven, two kilometers southeast of the Forbidden City, remains the most celebrated of these, while the emperors who used it, called"sons of Heaven,"have long since met their maker.

　　The Temple of Heaven reflects an ordered cosmos. Its 273-hectare pine-covered grounds have a square southern boundary and a semicircular northern one, in accordance with the old idea that the Earth was square and Heaven was round. The two are connected by an arrow-straight axis, along which lie expansive circular structures-fine stone platforms3 and wooden halls-where the emperor bowed to the supremacy of Heaven.

　　Such reverence no longer exists, and the business of the Temple of Heaven has changed from ensuring plentiful harvests to bringing in good tourism revenues. At Echo Wall, visitors now offer cries instead of sacrifices, hoping to hear their voices bounce back to them. They delight in crossing Danbi Bridge,swheresnot even the emperors themselves set foot, as it was reserved for the gods. Visitors also enjoy frolicking4 under the Nine-Dragon Cypress, a venerable old tree that has observed their comings and goings for nearly five hundred years.




宇宙的规律：天坛--来自天堂的体验
　　公元1420年，明朝将京城由南京迁至北京，同时大兴土木，在四个主要方位修建一些向神明祈祷的建筑。这些神殿分别用来祭祀太阳、月亮、土地和最伟大的上天。坐落在紫禁城东南方两公里的天坛仍是其中最负盛名的一座，然而使用它的被称为"天子"的皇帝，都已经归天很久了。

　　天坛的建筑反映了宇宙的规律。它占地273公顷，遍植松树，南边以方形为界，北方则以半圆形为界，这与"天圆地方"这种古老的观念相吻合。南北两区以笔直的轴线连结，典雅的圆形建筑坐落其中，它由华丽的石制平台和木制厅堂构成，皇帝就在那里向至高无上的天神致敬。

　　这种对上天的敬意已不复存在了，天坛的使命也已经由乞求丰收转变为创造高额的观光收入。在回音壁前，游客们不再献祭，而是大声喊叫，希望能听见自己的回声。他们兴奋地逛丹陛桥，过去这可是保留给天神的，连皇帝都不能踏入一步呢。游客们还喜欢在"九龙柏"下玩耍，这株老柏树可是德高望重，矗立了近五百年，看尽了人间变幻、世事沧桑。