⚠The image is a woodcut diagram with some graininess. The left side of the diagram is cut off as it is part of a double-page spread.

Diagram of the Circular Mound Altar

Slaughterhouse original: "Zaishengsuo." The facility where animals, such as bulls, were ritually prepared for sacrifice. Divine Storehouse original: "Shenku." A building used to store ritual vessels, musical instruments, and tablets used during the ceremonies. Divine Kitchen original: "Shenchu." The place where sacrificial offerings, including grains and meats, were cooked and prepared according to strict ritual protocols.

This diagram depicts the layout of the Circular Mound Altar (Yuanqiu), the primary altar of the Temple of Heaven complex in Beijing. It was the site of the most important annual rite: the Great Sacrifice to Heaven performed by the Emperor during the Winter Solstice. The architecture reflects the ancient Chinese cosmological belief that "Heaven is round and the Earth is square," represented here by the circular triple-tiered stone platform set within a complex of rectangular auxiliary structures. The labels identify the essential support buildings—the Divine Kitchen, the Storehouse, and the Slaughterhouse—where the physical preparations for the spiritual communion took place.

Circular Mound (Yuanqiu) — The open-air, three-tiered white marble altar where the Emperor communicated with the Supreme Deity of Heaven.

Sacrifice (Jisi) — The formal act of making offerings to spirits or ancestors, a cornerstone of imperial state religion and Confucian social order.