the center of the stone-paved floor is a round marble slab， which is 88.5 centimeters in diameter. interestingly， the slab features natural black and white veins， corresponding to the dragon-phoenix design on the ceiling. this particular slab is known as the dragon-phoenix stone and is regarded as a treasure inseparable from the hall.
the furnishings within the hall are placed in their original positions dating back to when emperor xianfeng ruled .in the forefront and above the throne are enshrined tablets in commemoration of heaven. on either table on each side tablets of the emperor` s ancestors were placed. each tablet is fronted by an altar. a total of 24 kinds of offering were made on it ，including soup， wine， assorted cereals， and a calf.
the sacrificial rites were observed in the wee hours of the morning， sometime in the first month of the chinese lunar year. because it was still dark， candles， lanterns and torches were lit. this lighting coupled with the incense being burnt inside the hall ，helped make the ceremony both grand and mystical.
by the time the service began，207 musicians and dancers would be performing on platforms outside the hall. the emperor， in his blue sacrificial robe and with an air of piety and sincerity， would walk slowly into the hall， kowtow， and offer wine and prayer in hornor of the deities and his ancestors. all of the offerings would then be taken to incinerators on the eastern side of the gate of prayer for good harvest. with this we conclude our visit to the temper of heaven. the feudal monarchs and their sacrificial rites have long vanished in history .however， this group of magnificent and lofty structures remain as a fine testament of the ancient chinese` s ingenuity and as one of the cultural heritages of mankind.
from the eastern gate of the hall of prayer for good harvest， we have now enter a 300-meter-long corridor. consisting of 72 sections， this corridor served as a connecting building between the slaughterhouse. heaven kitchen， and the main hall ，it is said that this once served as a sacrificial food production line. flanking the corridor are shopping stalls. you may find some souvenirs for your family and friend there.
well ，that is all for this tour. thank you for your attention. i look forward to your next visit. good luck and bon voyage. 篇二：北京天坛的英文导游词
Today, well go to visit the Temple of Heaven. First, I'll give you a brief introduction of it. The Temple of Heaven is situated in the southern part of Beijing. It was first built in 1420 in the Ming Dynasty. It covers an area of 273 hectares. The Temple of Heaven is not only the largest group of temple building in China, but also the largest heaven-worshipping architecture in the world.
Originally the Temple of Heaven was built according to the Temple of Heaven and Earth in Nanjing, so both heaven and earth were worshiped here, then it was called Temple of Heaven and Earth at that time. In 1530, another structure, Temple of Earth was built in the northern part of Beijing and the Heaven and Earth were worshipped separately. Since only Heaven was worshipped in here, it was renamed the Temple of Heaven.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Temple of Heaven was the place where the emperors came to worship the God of Heaven and pray for good harvest. The emperors came here twice a year. The first time was on the 15 th day of the first lunar month. The emperor would come to the Hall of the prayer for Good Harvest and held a big ceremony to pray for a bumper harvest. The second time was on Winter Solstice, and a sacrificial ceremony would be held at the Circular Mount Altar to offer a sacrifice to the Heaven.
Being a sacred place for worshipping heaven, the Temple of Heaven had been twice seriously damaged by the Anglo-French Allied Forces in 1860 and the invading troops of the eight powers in 1900.
Architecturally speaking, the Temple of Heaven has two themes: the heave and the earth. The surrounding walls of the Temple of Heaven are 6 meters high with a semicircular wall to the north and square shaped wall to the south. This represents an ancient belief that the heaven was round and the earth was square. There are three main buildings in the Temple of Heaven, they are: the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Imperial Heavenly Vault and the Circular Mound Altar.
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