Imperial Hall of Heaven

Imperial Hall of Heaven
Another important main building in this area is the Imperial Hall of Heaven, which is located to the north of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, connecting with the Altar for Grain Prayers by three glaze doors. It used to be the place where God tablets were consecrated. The gate on the west side is called the Guxi Gate (Guxi means seventy years old). The roof of the hall is covered with blue colored glaze. Under the eave, there is a board reading "the Imperial Hall of Heaven" inscribed by Emperor Jiajing. Inside the hall, there are house-shaped shrines holding god tablets. On the first and fifth day of each lunar month, officials would sweep the dust and burn the incense there. The emperor would give a ritual there on the eve of the Ceremony of Worshipping Heaven.