The Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests in the Temple of Heaven, one of the most famous symbols of Beijing, is undergoing its second major renovation since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. Work commenced on October 20.

The 20-million-yuan (US$2.4 million) budget is Beijing's largest investment in a single project in years. Regilding the roof of the altar alone will cost 300,000 yuan (US$36,000).

The project covers an area of 6,438 square meters (0.6 hectare), including the gate, the Hall of Imperial Heaven, the East Wing Hall and the West Wing Hall. The paving on the grounds will be changed and the buildings will be lacquered.

The Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests has been repaired many times since the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644). But these repairs also included alterations that destroyed the harmony between the structure's original appearance and its surroundings, particularly the concrete blocks used to pave the grounds in the 1970s.

The current project is undertaken to restore the altar to its appearance during the reign of Qing Dynasty Emperor Guangxu (1875–1909).

Some of the work is relatively simple, such as weeding the tile roof; cleaning, painting and coating the structure with sealants; replacing the concrete blocks with traditional bricks; and replacing lost or broken hardware.

More noticeable changes will include replacing the concrete blocks on the three tiers in front of the altar itself with "golden bricks," which, although they are not actually made of gold, are nevertheless considered precious.

Golden bricks, made of special materials through a complicated process, were once used solely in imperial buildings. Only the silt under Taihu Lake in today's Jiangsu Province is suitable for making the bricks, which must be baked in a kiln burning chaff. For the final step, each brick is dipped in tung oil. A single batch of golden bricks traditionally took up to a year to make.

Even the sound made by tapping on the bricks is said to be exquisite.

The renovation of the Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests is scheduled to be finished before September 1, 2006. It will remain open to public while the work is under way, with scaffolds moved from place to place as the job progresses rather than surrounding the building.

(China.org.cn by Chen Lin, October 22, 2004)