Temple of Heaven

This guide to the Temple of Heaven in Beijing opens on September 18, 1889, when lightning struck the gilded ball atop the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests and the wooden tower burned within hours. It follows the court's search for an explanation that didn't involve blaming heaven itself, and the twice-yearly ritual the emperor performed here, fasting for three days before walking in to pray for the empire's harvest. Listen for the interlocking wooden brackets overhead, built without a single nail.