chinese houses altar

In ancient China, the main functions of the altar for worship, so there is the "altar" of the name. However, vows, will be North Korea, Feng Bai, the ancients often built altar to show a solemn act, for example, when Liu Bang was built altar gatherings for worship General Han Xin.
The emergence of the altar, with the prehistoric environment in the open nature worship of God is closely related to the activities at that time, in order to attract the attention of the gods so that their hope to reach a better gods, often use natural mound, high - Kong or higher, such as mountain terrain to build the altar. For example, sub-county in Liaoning Lingyuan Hill found that the Hongshan Culture altar is located on the Peak; at Lingyuan, Niu Jian-Ping River at the junction of the beam female temple ruins in the top of the mountain; in Zhejiang Yuhang of the Dayaoshan Top, and found a Liangzhu culture of the altar.

Into the era of civilization, the altar of large-scale construction and use of increasingly monopolized by the rulers. Their object of worship, but also gradually on the day, and, on that state, the first of several agricultural, and other top natural God and the nature of God with a strong flavor of the High God on the islet. From the highest ruler of the world (or their representatives) to a maximum of Zhuji nature of God islet, which is built on ancient sacrificial altar in the building occupied a higher status and specifications, has a different and the supremacy of the sacred, and Such features are in addition to the universe other than the worship building does not have.

Has a broad religious building, a narrow, respectively. The only sacrificial altar in the narrow sense of the main building?? Or a square or circular altar, the sacrificial altar and in a broader sense, including the main building and ancillary buildings. To the existing Beijing's Temple of Heaven in the Ming and Qing, for example: the narrow sense refers to the Temple of Heaven Tan Huan Qiu, and in a broader sense, including the Temple of Heaven is a vegetarian Palace, the Temple Qi years, Wong Yu Qiong, Zaisheng kiosks all other buildings. And hierarchical world of reality corresponds to the feudal era of the ruling class will be the separation of heaven and earth god islet different level. In this way, as the sacrificial altar will be built in the shape, size, material, and many there have been clear hierarchical. To the altar built by the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Emperor of Heaven is the highest God, the altar of Heaven and therefore it is designed to three; state is synonymous with national, state, therefore the three-tier altar has been made; to the altar for two days Tan, on the altar and are a Xiannong Tan. How much of the rise is entirely in accordance with the godhead may be.