It was from the Temple of Heaven that the Ming and Qing emperors spoke with the gods. In keeping with such an event, everything here is on a grandiose scale. The ceremonies started at the circular altar, with its 360 balustrades representing the 360 days of the lunar calendar. The Imperial Vault of Heaven, whose remarkable acoustics transfer every murmur into an echo, housed the prayer tablets. The circular Temple of Prayer for Good Harvest, 38m high and 30m in diameter, is the most important building in the religious complex.