Ancient hall reopens in May
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出版日期： 四月 14, 2006
The repair job has been finished on the Hall of Prayer for Good Year, which will open to the public starting May 1. The hall is a main part of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing.
ONE of Beijing's most famous temples will reopen to the public on May 1 after a yearlong maintenance project, Beijing Times reported today.
The government has invested 47 million yuan (US$5.9 million) to restore the former glamour of the Temple of Heaven's Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, which was first built in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
Tourists can enjoy cultural and historical exhibitions about the hall, as well as view a replica that is 1:15 the size of the real one.
The hall's original cement bricks have been replaced with new grey bricks, and more than 20,000 golden bricks cover three floors.
The project also upgraded the water supply, fire alarm system and the monitoring facilities, as well as the power supply in the Prayer Hall, to better monitor the historic architecture.
As one of Beijing's most popular tourist attractions, also a world heritage site, the hall once served as an imperial worship site. Emperors prayed for good harvests on the 15 day of the first month on the traditional Chinese lunar calendar each year since it was built in 1420.
The ticket prices will remain unchanged at 35 yuan, said a management official from the Temple of Heaven.
An adjacent complex in the Temple of Heaven's vicinity, also known as Beijing's famous Tian Tan landmark, is also being renovated.
Tian Tan was built in 1417 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The Emperor called the "Son of Heaven" visited twice a year to pray for a good harvest and to avert floods; which perpetuated that imperial rule.
It consists of five architectural sections, with the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest being the temples main attraction.
The Temple of Heaven's face-lift is only one of the many efforts Beijing's is making to prepare for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.