Show I 1 t The Magic lagic of l Moonlight ht Shining on the Altar of Heaven HERE are people who will vill T THERE 1 tell you that the most beautiful ful object in a city so filled with beauty that it may well be classified as a serial dream is the studded gem-studded Buddha to be seen in Tuan Cheng near the entrance entrance en en- trance of Pei Hai others who declare declare declare de de- clare that the thc Purple Forbidden Palace occupying the center of the Imperial City is the culminating ing a triumph of earthly creations that the marble pagoda at the Jade Fountain is the thc only monument monument I ment in stone that exclaims its own magnificence You will will be told that the tombs of I the 13 Ming Emperors reposing in inI ina a lonely valley out of town are the I most stately grouping in the known world that the Nine Dragon screen I in Pei Hai park nark is the most I ite masterpiece left intact in Pei- Pei Pei Pei- ping You will be escorted to the Temple of Heaven standing on a platform of white marble its triple roofs supported by red columns and tiled in blue the whole crowned with witha a golden ball Beyond this southward in the I form of a circular construction one comes upon the Altar of Heaven by far the most beautiful memorial memori memori- al of its kind in the world the final salutation to religion as expressed by the Chinese and in the opinion of many authorities the most sublime sublime sublime sub sub- lime architectural gesture ever conceived conceived conceived con con- for the ceremonial recognition tion of invisible powers responsible for the earths earth's fecundity It is at this spot that Chinas China's emperors for five hundred years have made annual annual annual an an- nual sacrifices to the only superior they recognized recognized Heaven Every Detail Blends Memorable the night when Nelson Nelson Nelson Nel Nel- son Trusler Johnson American ambassador ambassador ambassador am am- to China called me on the phone at 11 o'clock little more than the shank of the evening time tune and asked what claims I had if any on the lithe so-called so artistic temperament All HAll the traffic will stand I re re- re- re lWell l. l Well in that case jump into a about midnight and meet me at the Embassy alone Bring your camera Can do I replied in the Chinese Chinese Chinese Chi Chi- nese vernacular and did with all alII possible haste arriving at the he rendezvous rendezvous rendezvous ren ren- to find the ambassador awaiting me in an automobile But the camera I queried To the chauffeur the ambassador who is a proficient Oriental scholar gave a short command in Chinese and md we were off oil at 60 GO kilometers an hour under a full moon riding in m a starlit sky Shrine Set in Park Five miles to the north arriving at a massive gate that swung open at our approach we entered a park containing long lines of ancient cedar cedar cedar ce ce- dar trees set in formal array through which for or a matter of two miles we moved slowly coming at last to an open space A circular construction composed of white marble sitting low upon the landscape landscape landscape land land- built in three terraces and I flat upon the crown filled my eyes with its immaculate magic Mute I gazed at its pale splendor which I increased in richness as I became I accustomed to its pearly silhouette against the trees breaking the hori hori- zon between this the Altar of Heaven I I en and the luminous sky over Pei Pei- I ping under the north star I Ilias Has lias Balustrades I Mounted on the rim of the furnace where the cow the goat and the pig have been roasted for the annual ceremonials attended by the emperors emper emper- ors during the last five centuries we trained our lenses on the Altar of Heaven built in three terraces of I marble the first feet wide the second the third 80 The number number num num- I ber of balustrades on the first is the second the third 72 totaling totaling totaling to to- the number of days in inthe inthe inthe the Chinese lunar year The upper terrace is reached by three flights of nine steps each The Chinese di divide divide di- di i vide the heavens into nine sections I there are nine points to the compass com- com n pass cc kno rr r wn as c th T 1 M l I i e lee IC There are nine divisions of mathematics mathematics mathematics mathe mathe- matics nine degrees of official rank and nine of family relationship In the center of the topmost platform platform plat plat- I f form is a circular marble disk surf surI surrounded sur sur- rounded by nine marble sections and so on to the perimeter of eighty- eighty lone one Whilst the light from Heaven was etching the Altar into our films the ambassador and I sauntered leisurely leisurely leisurely lei lei- lei lei- surely among the carven careen white pillars pillars pillars pil pil- lars but never long enough in any anyone one spot to leave our impress upon the sensitive celluloid and gave ourselves up to the contemplation tion of its majesty Higher and higher floated the summer moon until the whole silvered landscape appeared as a setting for the trinity trinity trinity trini trini- ty of marble circles like e moonstones moonstones moonstones moon moon- stones in rings of white jade the mass becoming more luminous as the moon ascending to perpendicular lar brushed all aside save the ghostly ghost ghost- I ly Altar under the cold flood filtering filter filter- I ing steadily through space I Copyright W lU Service |