Temple of Heaven
Description:
Greetings of the gods: something special was burned in honor of Heaven.
Removal of gifts: products of jade and silk in boxes.
Removal of sacrificial animals.
First present.
Second gift service.
Final gift delivery.
Removal of gifts.
Burning gifts of every kind.
Inspection by the emperor of the burnings.
It was believed that the fewer mistakes the emperor made during a difficult ceremony, the better the harvest in the coming year. The ceremony was last held in 1914 by Yuan Shikai, who proclaimed himself emperor.
Ceremonies at the Temple of Heaven ceased in 1911 after the overthrow of Emperor Puyi, the last emperor of China. The temple was placed under the administration of the Ministry of the Interior and remained banned from visiting by ordinary people. But the walls surrounding the temple could not contain their curiosity. More and more people at risk entered the temple despite the ban. Illegal entry forced the government to open the temple to the public in 1913. Access to the temple for the first ten days was free. Curious visitors poured into the temple from all directions. Five months later, the Interior Ministry proposed opening the imperial palaces, including the Temple of Heaven, to the public. But the popular document was vetoed by one man, President Yuan Shikai, who decided to keep the Temple of Heaven.
On December 23, 1914, Yuan Shikai, wearing a Ming Dynasty costume and accompanied by his ministers, visited the Temple of Heaven with a prayer "for the people." He bowed low and prayed hard, as did the real emperors.