Wender·Vista
Temple of Heaven
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tilePeople's Republic of China
in southeastern Beijing, in the imperial precinct south of the old city wall

Temple of Heaven

— — the cobalt roof under which an emperor prayed for rain.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“A circular hall under three cobalt-tiled eaves, in a walled park in southeastern Beijing. Ming and Qing emperors came here at the winter solstice to ask Heaven for a good harvest. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests stands on a triple marble terrace and was rebuilt in 1890 after a lightning strike. In the early morning, the surrounding pine grove fills with retirees practising tai chi and singing in groups. — from the studio

from the studio
Temple of Heaven
— bring it home

Temple of Heaven, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Temple of Heaven

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

The Temple of Heaven complex covers about 273 hectares in southeastern Beijing, south of the old Inner City wall and east of Qianmen Avenue. The Yongle Emperor ordered its construction in 1420 as the imperial altar for sacrifices to Heaven, and the precinct grew through the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Imperial Vault of Heaven and the Circular Mound Altar stand on a single north-south axis. UNESCO inscribed the complex on the World Heritage List in 1998 for its Ming-cosmological design.

— the stone

The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests rises 38 metres on a three-tier white marble terrace called the Qigutan. Its triple cobalt-tiled roof rests on twenty-eight wooden pillars — four central pillars for the seasons, twelve inner for the months, twelve outer for the two-hour periods of the day — with no nails in the upper structure. The hall was struck by lightning in 1889 and rebuilt the following year. The surrounding walls are square on the south and circular on the north, reading the old saying that Heaven is round and Earth is square.

— the year

The complex was the stage for two of the year's most important imperial rites. At the winter solstice the emperor travelled south from the Forbidden City to the Circular Mound Altar to report to Heaven on the year past. In the first lunar month he prayed at the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests for a fruitful agricultural year. The rituals continued without interruption from 1420 until the abdication of the Xuantong Emperor in 1912. The park opened to the public in 1918 and now draws early-morning singers, tai chi groups and calligraphers.

— where
People's Republic of China · Dongcheng District, Beijing
— within
Tiantan Park
— elevation
44 m · 144 ft
— position
39.8822° N · 116.4066° E
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
5 km N
Forbidden City
imperial palace
4 km N
Tiananmen Square
public square
2 km NW
Qianmen Street
historic shopping street
4 km N
Dongcheng hutongs
alley district
N
Temple of Heaven
Forbidden City
Tiananmen Square
Qianmen Street
Dongcheng hutongs
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Temple of Heaven — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

Construction began in 1406 under the Yongle Emperor and the complex was completed in 1420, the same year as the Forbidden City. Major reconstruction followed a lightning strike on the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests in 1889.

Ming and Qing emperors performed two annual rites here: a winter-solstice report to Heaven on the year past, and a first-lunar-month prayer for a good agricultural harvest. The emperor was understood to be the unique mediator between Heaven and the realm.

About 38 metres from the base of the marble terrace to the top of the gilded finial. Its triple cobalt-tiled roof rests on twenty-eight wooden pillars and uses no nails in the upper structure.

The complex reflects the Chinese cosmological reading that Heaven is round and Earth is square. The outer walls round off on the north and square off on the south, and the central buildings sit on circular platforms.

The Temple of Heaven was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998 under criteria one, two and three, recognising the complex as a masterwork of Ming cosmological architecture and a symbolic plan of Heaven and Earth.

No. The imperial rites ended with the abdication of the Xuantong Emperor in 1912 and the park opened to the public in 1918. The site is now a municipal park and World Heritage cultural site rather than an active temple.

— about the piece in your home

Yes. The cobalt roof and marble terrace carry one of the most recognised silhouettes in Beijing, and the piece has been a meaningful gift for returning travellers and for families with roots in the city. A Medium or Large works well.

It sits naturally in Japandi, Minimalist Asian and warm Library-modern rooms. The cobalt and ivory palette pairs with dark walnut, raw silk and aged brass. It also holds against a deep green or wine-coloured study wall.

Yes. The Japandi and broader Asian-modern movement leans on the same restrained ivory, indigo and walnut palette that runs through this piece. It works alongside paper-shade lamps, raw silk and dark stained oak.

Above a standard sofa, a single Large or a four-tile Mural reads at the right proportion. A nine-tile Mural anchors a longer wall above a dining sideboard. A Medium suits a narrow entryway console.

Yes. Choose the Dura Satin or Matte finish for any vertical install in a wet room or behind a stove. The colour is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure and resists steam and routine cleaning.

A soft microfibre cloth with plain water is enough for routine cleaning. For kitchen installs, a drop of mild dish soap on the cloth removes cooking residue. Avoid abrasive pads and any cleaner containing bleach or solvent.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is original to the studio in Knoxville and not licensed from any outside source. Reid Wender curates each place that enters the atlas and approves the artwork before it ships.

— if this one stayed with you

A few you might also love.

Hand-picked by the eye that found Sorapis. Same air, same kind of quiet.