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　　When China's imperial1 court moved from Nanjing to Beijing during the Ming Dynasty in 1420, sites were required for supplication to the gods. Temples were built in the four cardinal2 directions: to the sun, the moon, the Earth, and in grandest style, Heaven. The Temple of Heaven, two kilometers southeast of the Forbidden City, remains the most celebrated of these, while the emperors who used it, called“sons of Heaven,”have long since met their maker.

　　The Temple of Heaven reflects an ordered cosmos. Its 273-hectare pine-covered grounds have a square southern boundary and a semicircular northern one, in accordance with the old idea that the Earth was square and Heaven was round. The two are connected by an arrow-straight axis, along which lie expansive circular structures—fine stone platforms3 and wooden halls—where the emperor bowed to the supremacy of Heaven.

　　Such reverence no longer exists, and the business of the Temple of Heaven has changed from ensuring plentiful harvests to bringing in good tourism revenues. At Echo Wall, visitors now offer cries instead of sacrifices, hoping to hear their voices bounce back to them. They delight in crossing Danbi Bridge,swheresnot even the emperors themselves set foot, as it was reserved for the gods. Visitors also enjoy frolicking4 under the Nine-Dragon Cypress, a venerable old tree that has observed their comings and goings for nearly five hundred years.