The Imperial Vault of Heaven is located to the north of the Round Mound Altar in the Temple of Heaven, serving as a place to enshrine the deities worshipped at the Round Mound Altar and to store the divine tablets. Constructed with brick and wood, the vault features an interior without horizontal beams, supported instead by eight eaves pillars, eight golden pillars, and numerous dougong brackets that hold up the roof.
The triple-tiered ceiling with its intricate carvings is distinctive and rare among ancient architectures. The eaves are covered with blue glazed tiles, with a gilded treasure top at the ridge, and the walls are circular brick walls with precise brick joints. From a distance, it resembles a giant blue sapphire umbrella with a golden top. Flanking the Imperial Vault of Heaven are two side halls, each with five bays and a single-eave hip-and-gable roof structure. Outside the main hall lies the famous Echo Wall, the Three Sounds Stone, and the Whispering Stone. The enclosure of the Imperial Vault of Heaven has an acoustic effect, commonly known as the Echo Wall. The Three Sounds Stone is located on the pathway in front of the Imperial Vault of Heaven. Clapping at the Three Sounds Stone yields three echoes, a phenomenon referred to as ‘earthly whispers heard as thunder in the heavens. ‘ It is open year-round from 08:00 to 16:30; year-round from 08:00 to 15:30.Imperial Vault of Heaven
The Imperial Vault of Heaven is located to the north of the Round Mound Altar in the Temple of Heave[...]
