Just Like Heaven

I finally made my way through the park to the Temple of Heaven complex. This is where the emperors would come to pray for good harvests. The complex is actually comprised of three main structures, arranged from South to North, as follows: the Circular Mound Altar (where the emperors prayed for good weather), the Imperial Vault of Heaven, and the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests; and interspersed with various gates and bridges.

Below is a photo of the entrance to the Imperial Vault of Heaven...

... and a view of the building itself.
The complex was recently renovated. The detail with which everything was painted matches that of the Forbidden City, since this, too was an imperial complex.

Looking along the Vermilion Steps Bridge, you can see the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.

Note the blue tiles. which were reserved for imperial buildings (along with the yellow ones in the Forbidden City).

The ceremonies performed here bi-annually were complex and were expected to be performed precisely. It was believed that any mistake would have a negative impact on the harvest.

The focus of picture below may seem like an ordinary door, but it actually has an interesting history behind it. It is located behind the prayer hall, in the area where the emperor would prepare for the ceremony. According to the sign, here is the story...

"In 1779, when Emporer Qianlong was 70 years old, he felt his health was failing, so the officials of the Ministry of Rituals suggested opening a small door in the wall west of the Imperial Hall of Heaven so as to shorten the distance of his walk to the ceremony. The emporor gladly accepted it. But out of the fear that his offspring would abuse this convenience, he issued a decree saying, 'From now on only he among my offspring can enter and exit by this door who has reached the age of 70.' Hence the name 'Seventy-Year-Old Door.' None of the later emperors reached this advanced age; so Qianlong was the only person who had used this door."

Back out in the rest of the park, I followed this pretty bird for a bit, trying to get a picture for my Mom, daughter to a bird-watcher. So now that I caught it, Mom, you get to ID it.