Beamless Hall

 Beamless Hall
Located in the center of the Hall of Abstinence, the Beamless Hall is the main hall, where ceremonial rituals were held on the arrival and departure of the emperor. It was built in 1420. Its name is derived from the fact that the hall is supported only by the walls and a brick dome. There are no beams. A placard board on the lintel bears the inscription 'Admirable as Heaven’ in Emperor Qianlong’s handwriting. The hall originally had seven rooms. Four of the rooms have  been converted into exhibition halls: the Architecture Exhibition, showing the history and evolution of the architecture; the Abstinence Ceremony Exhibition displaying the sacrificial relics as well as introducing features of the abstinence system and rituals during the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368 - 1911); the Official's Abstinence Exhibition, depicting the officials fasting; and the Emperor Abstinence Exhibition showing pictures of twenty-two emperors who came to the Temple of Heaven for the Worshipping Ceremony including thirteen Ming emperors and nine Qing emperors. After visiting this exhibition, you will have a general idea about how much emphasis each emperor put on the importance of worshipping heaven.