Architecture of The Temple of Heaven and Canterbury Cathedral - Research Paper Example

 Compare the architecture of “The Temple of Heaven” and “Canterbury Cathedral’ The UNESCO World Heritage sites are places that have been classified by the UNESCO as having special significance in physical or cultural context. Many of these sites are embodiments of the architectural and archaeological legacies left behind by our ancestors and are selected on the basis of their ethnic or environmental contribution to the heritage of the human kind. Two such architectural sites that have been classed as World Heritage sites and are being given special attention with regard to their preservation and promotion are the Temple of Heaven and the Canterbury Cathedral. The Temple was added to the UNESCO world heritage site list in 1998 whereas the Canterbury Cathedral had been added to the list in 1988. Both these buildings are known for their cultural and architectural uniqueness and accentuate the culture of their respective builders. However, the buildings differ in the architecture used and for the purpose that they were constructed for. This paper explores the differences in the architecture of the two sites and provides an insight into the cultural values that these buildings stand for. The Temple of Heaven was constructed in the 14th century during the Ming dynasty. The name of the building etymologically means the Altar of Heaven. It was built in the years 1406 to 1420. Its construction was supervised by Ming Emperor YongLe. During his rule, Emperor YongLe also constructed the Forbidden City. Initially constructed as the Temple of Heaven and Earth (Atlas of World Heritage: China), it was renamed by Ming Emperor JiaJing. Emperor JiaJing separated the earth and formed individual units for it. The Temple is the most artistic building in China, a juxtaposition of beauty, color and elegance (Brown 189). The Temple, to date, is a consortium of buildings located in Central Beijing, China. On the other hand, Canterbury Cathedral is located in Canterbury in England. It was also known as Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Christ at Canterbury in the past. St. Augustine of Canterbury was the founder of the Cathedral. It was built in 597 and was built on an old Roman road. The annals of history have seen the construction and demolition of many monasteries, baptisteries and cathedrals in close vicinity to the Canterbury Cathedral, including the Saxon Church and the Early Norman cathedral. However, the Canterbury Cathedral has remained intact and today is one of the oldest Christian buildings in the UK. The Temple of Heaven and the Canterbury Cathedral have been used for different religious purposes. The Temple of Heaven was used by the Ming and the Qing dynasties for sacrificial purposes. In the yore, the Temple was used as the Imperial sacrificial alter to the Heaven by these Taoist and Chinese emperors, who prayed for a productive and good harvest at the Temple. Where the Temple represents the religious beliefs of the Taoist people, the Canterbury Cathedral, as known by its name, is for Christians and was dedicated to Saint Saviour by Augustine. The Cathedral is the chide church of the Anglican Communion. The Cathedral belongs to the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Archbishop is revered by the Christians as the person in charge of the Church of England. The current bishop that resides in the Cathedral is the Archbishop Rowan Williams. The Cathedral is under the supervision of the Dean, the Very Reverend Robert Willis; the Dean is aided by twenty-four cannons. The Cathedral employs 250 people to boot. The Temple of Heaven and the Canterbury Cathedral is also different in terms of the layout of the buildings. The Temple of Heaven is a conglomeration of cult buildings that are interlaced by pine trees. They are infringed by gardens. The buildings are arranged in close association with nature; this is not just a sheer twist of fate. In fact it represents the symbolism of the Temple as being a connection between the Divine and the human world. The Temple is a masterwork of architectural design since it signifies not only the cosmogony for the advancement and growth of the Taoist civilizations but also entails how the cultures of feudal rulers have affected the architecture of the place. The Temple covers an extensive area of 2.73 km². It encompasses three chief architectural units that have been constructed according to specific philosophical needs. One of the architectural divisions of the Temple is the Circular Mound of Altar. It is present outdoors. Circular in shapes, it is hoisted on three storeys of marble platform. It was constructed during the time of the Emperor JiaJing. One of its special architectural qualities is that each of its walls depicts different elements of nature like earth, heaven etc. the Temple is largely considered an architectural beauty because its construct is done on the basis of both symbolism and numerology. This is exemplified in the layout of the altar; the altar has been constructed around the number 9, which represents the Yin-Yang philosophy of the early Chinese civilizations. The architectural components such as pillars, terraces, steps, flag-stones etc are either nine in number or their total number is a multiple of nine. For instance, there are nine pillars in each part of the altar; the total area covered by the altar is also a multiple of 9, i.e. 450 feet. Another architectural wonder of the altar is how the voice resonates in it, especially designed to facilitate worship. The Imperial Vault of Heaven is another small building that forms part of the Temple. The Vault is not supported by any crossbeams. It does not have multi-layered marbles like the altar. The Echo wall is characteristic of its acoustic features. The third building present in the Temple is the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. It is triple-garbled and is made entirely of wood. It is the hall where the Emperors used to pray to the Heavens above for a good harvest. The Vault also does not have any nails. The Canterbury Cathedral is also surrounded by precinct gardens like the Kent Memorial garden, the campanile mound and the cloisters amongst many others. The Cathedral boasts a collection of one of the oldest mulberry trees. The Healing Garden - The Herbarium is one of the main gardens of the Cathedral, and the herbs that are grown here are considered to be used by Monks for over thousands of years. Another feature of the Cathedral is the memorial to the assassination of Thomas Becket. Most of the features of the Cathedral are Romanesque in nature. One of these is the Crypt, which was enacted in the 11th century, making it one of the oldest structures containing details of Romanesque type of architecture. The Nave is another Romanesque feature present in the Cathedral. Henry Yevele was given the responsibility of rebuilding the Nave in the 14th century. The Nave has large aisle windows that lit up the hall. It also has high walls, vaulted arches and gilt roof (Dean and Chapter of Canterbury Cathedral); the pillars are slender and Perpendicular and gives the Nave a different look from its original Norman built. When one enters the nave, one can appreciate the wooden boards, the three tiers of glass and the scaffolding (Babington 76). The Cathedral is primarily gothic in nature; the fan vaulting illustrating influences of French gothic. The Corona contains stained glass windows on which is inscribed the legends of St Thomas. The Quire and the Trinity Chapel are also part of the Cathedral. Thus in conclusion, the Canterbury Cathedral and the Temple of Heaven are architectural landscapes that represent their own set of cultural values. The Cathedral caters to the Christian community and is influenced by gothic architecture. The Temple of Heaven, concurrently, encompasses both symbolism and numerology and was used by Taoist civilizations for cult purposes. Works Cited Atlas of World Heritage: China. California: Long River Press, 2008. Print. Babington, Margaret. The Romance of Canterbury Cathedral. READ BOOKS, 2007. Print. Brown, Arthur Judson. New Forces in Old China. BiblioBazaar, LLC, 2007. Print. Dean and Chapter of Canterbury Cathedral. Canterbury Cathedral. Dean and Chapter of Canterbury Cathedral, 2009. Web. 2 June 2010. Read More