gate to the temple of heaven 天壇の門 (beijing, china)

Posted by timothy sullivan (Tokyo, Japan) on 28 January 2009 in Architecture.

I had visited China by flying there straight from Japan; and having lived in Japan for about 2 years at that point, many of my experiences with Asian architecture came from that country. So when I arrived at places like Tienanmen Square, and went on into the Forbidden Palace, I was in for a complete surprise.
My understanding on the actual historical reasoning behind how Chinese palaces were built is quite thin, but I got the impression that the Chinese emperors instructed their palaces to be built in such a way (and scale) as to instill a certain degree of awe in visitors and would-be invaders alike. This awe is still invoked to this day: this gate is one of a series of gates on the western edge of the Palace--and as you walk the considerable distance between the series of gates, the same awe merely builds and builds within your heart as you anticipate what lies ahead.

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