Circular Mound Altar

The round terrace was first covered with deep blue glazed slabs surrounded with a white marble balustrade when it was expanded.

It has a circular perimeter of 534m and a height of 5.2m This altar was also built for religious purposes, especially for ceremonies to pray for rain by the emperor in times of drought.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368–1911 AD), the emperors would offer sacrifices to Heaven on the day of the Winter Solstice every year.

The arrangement of putting number nine and five together is used exclusively in China by the ancient emperors as they represent imperial authority.

There is a special result of the architectural form of the Circular Mound Altar which can be explained through the religious ceremonies performed there.

When coupled with the solemn ritual performed by a group of Chinese monks, the atmosphere is given a more mysterious effect as the sounds generated gradually increase in volume.

The altar has withstood the test of time for nearly 500 years and still stands perfectly preserved without any cracking or sagging.

The walls are now layered with marble and the rest of the altar consists of the initial material used for construction, blue-stone.

Marble is an important material to use as it helps to create the echo used to amplify sound due to its extremely smooth surface.