In order to safeguard the "divine right of emperor" and show the divine authority, the ancient worshipping ceremony was highly emphasized with extremely strict precepts. Any error would be severely punished. A great deal of preparation work was needed. All the roads and buildings in the Temple of Heaven had to be renewed on a large scale. Five days before the ceremony, princes demanded that all the livestock to be sacrificed during the ceremony be carefully checked; three days before the ceremony, the emperor began to fast; two days before, prayer words should be written; on the last day, livestock should be slaughtered; sacrifices should be made and the ceremonial articles should be established. On the last day, the emperor must read the prayer, give a ritual at the Imperial Vault of Heaven, watch the divine tablets at the Circular Mound Alter, check the ceremonial articles in the Divine Storeroom, see the sacrifices at the Divine Kitchen, and then go back to the Palace of Abstinence for fasting; on the eve officers must straighten out the tablets, the ceremonial articles as well as the sacrifices. Besides all this, the music should be ready. Lastly, the officials of Ritual Department would perform an overall check.

Starting from Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), every year the emperor would come to the Temple of Heaven to hold ceremonies to worship the Heaven (Ji Tian in Chinese). Especially when encountering a year of draught, the emperor would go to the Circular Mound Altar to pray for rain.

Worshipping Time
Seven Ke (a “Ke” in the Qing Dynasty refers to 15 minutes) before sunrise was the starting time. At this moment, the Bell of Supreme Harmony in the Palace of Abstinence was sounded, the emperor started off to the Circular Mound Altar

The life-force of the cosmos divided in to two forces, which oppose and at the same time depend on and compliment each other. These two opposing forces "Yin" and "Yang" create and constantly effect all life. yin and yang constantly move in cycles as shown in the Taiji diagram or "Yin and Yang Symbol" as it's called in the west. In Daoism (Taoism) one seeks to be in tune with the cosmos and its natural cycles. Understanding the opposing forces and finding a balance between them is of great importance. Several practical methods of how to attain this balance are mentioned in the Yellow Emperor's Canon. The Yellow Emperor's Canon is one of the most practical guides on cultivating health and finding unity with the rhythms of the cosmos, please refer to the "Daoist Classics" section of our website for additional related information.