| Although
the other temples have been restored, Yuetan, the Moon Temple,
one of five altars in Beijing erected from 1530 to 1600 during
the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), remains a shabby site. Yuetan's
inner walls have been badly destroyed and the original buildings
inside the temple have been converted into offices, seriously
damaging much of its original appearance and structural soundness.
 Beijing
has long recognized it as a municipal-level, protected cultural
relic, but it was only
this year that Beijing's Xicheng district government announced
plans to renovate Yuetan. The task not only involves
reconstruction and extensive landscaping, but also requires
the reluctant relocation of the many work units that have
found offices inside the Temple over the last 50 years.
Although the Xicheng district Marriage Registration Office
has already moved to new quarters, many more companies and
organizations must leave before renovations can begin.
We
have uploaded photos of Tiantan and
will add both old and recent photos of the other temples by
March 2005. |
