Collected Illustrations of the Three Realms: Ritual System, Volume 3

In the current dynasty, during the Winter Solstice, sacrifices are offered to the Supreme Deity of Sovereign Heaven at the Circular Mound Altar Yuanqiu. Emperor Renzu Chun The posthumous title of Zhu Shizhen, the father of the Ming founder. In imperial ritual, the Emperor’s ancestor was "paired" with Heaven during the ceremony to demonstrate the dynasty's divine mandate. is seated as the associate deity.

The attendant sacrifices congsi consist only of the Great Light The Sun, the Night Light The Moon, the Stars and Constellations, and the Grand Duke of the Year Tai Sui, the deity of the planet Jupiter who presided over the transition of time and the calendar..

The Emperor personally performs these ritual sacrifices every year.

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. 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.