Altar of Land and Grain （社稷坛）

The Altar of Land and Grain within the Zhongshan Park in Beijing symbolizes imperial power and the harvest of the country, where emperors performed the national soil and grain ceremonies. Zhongshan Park has basically been preserved the original appearance of Altar of Land and Grain in the Ming Dynasty.

Main buildings are Altar of Land and Grain, Bai Dian (Worship Hall), and subsidiary buildings including Ji Men, Sacrificial Storehouse, Sacrificial Kitchen, Slaughter Pavilion, etc. The top the altar is covered five-colored soil, which is most conspicuous thing, including five colors: yellow in middle, green in east, red in south, white in west and black in north; they symbolize the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire and earth, and five directions of east, south, west, north and middle. There was a square stone in the middle of altar, it was called “Jiang Shan Shi” that can symbolize the country is stable and never dies. The semi-buried soil of the stone column was completely buried latter.

In history, the five-colored soil was paid tribute by different places; it could indicate that “All lands under the heaven are belonged to the king”. Besides, there were many restrictions on both tribute and quantity of five-colored soil, thanks to its differences of thickness. Also, there was a fixed pattern on arrangement of the five colors, because the ancients thought, five directions should combine with five fetishes venerated by these five places: Taihao (Fuxi) was venerated by the east, assist god was the God of Wood; Yan Emperor was venerated by the south and the assist god was the God of Fire; Shaohao was venerated by the west and the assist god was the God of Gold; Zhuanxu was venerated by the north and the assist god was the God of Water; Yellow Emperor was venerated by the middle and the assist god was the God of Earth. The placement of these five colors coincided with the five elements represented by the five Gods.