What does the ancient apricot altar mean?

Xingtan, also known as Stone Appreciating Altar, is one of the places where ancient emperors in China held sacrificial ceremonies, and its origin can be traced back to the pre-Qin period. All kinds of strange stones are often placed on the altar, symbolizing the harmonious coexistence of imperial power and everything in the world. Most altars are round, square or hexagonal in shape, with the center higher than the ground. There is a lid at the top of the altar, and there are pillars more than a foot high on the lid, and there are auspicious things such as dragons and phoenixes on the pillars. Apricot altar symbolizes that emperors live in harmony with heaven and earth and are blessed by the gods. It is an important symbol of China's traditional culture and political system.

Xingtan is not only a place for the emperor's sacrificial ceremony, but also a place for the emperor to meet important officials and foreign envoys, and also a place for the emperor's drama, music, dance and other theatrical performances. In ancient times, the apricot altar was a place to show the majesty and strength of emperors. Emperors talked about what was going on in the world on the apricot altar, released political voices and consolidated feudal rule. Since modern times, Xingtan has become an important symbol of China's traditional culture, architectural art and political system, and has also become one of the important tourist attractions.

Since ancient times, many emperors have built and held sacrifices on the apricot altar, not only expressing their religious beliefs, but also consolidating their power and conveying their political ideas with the help of the apricot altar. These apricot altars are not only symbols of culture and politics, but also an important part of chinese heritage. In order to protect these important cultural heritages, China Municipal Government has strengthened the protection and restoration of Xingtan and listed it as a national key cultural relic protection unit. At the same time, Xingtan is of great significance to the cultural, historical and spiritual inheritance of the Chinese nation, educating people to cherish cultural heritage and inherit Chinese excellent cultural traditions.