Esplanade of Sacrifice to the Heaven and Earth

The Esplanade of Sacrifice to the Heaven and Earth (Vietnamese: 'Đàn Nam-giao đàn') is an imperial altar situated south of the city of Huế, central Vietnam. It also known as the Nam Giao altar. It is dedicated to the heaven and earth. The complex was visited by the monarchs of the Nguyen dynasty for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven.

The offering worship to earth and heaven predates the Nguyen dynasty. The earlier Hồ dynasty in the early 15th century CE also offered prayers. The king would proceed once a year in the grandest procession on elephants from the Imperial City to the temple. The procession would be accompanied by the playing of the Đăng đàn cung (Chinese: 登壇宮, lit. Melody on the Ascent to the Esplanade) anthem.

After the end of the monarchy in 1945, the altar fell into disuse and its state deteriorated. In recent decades steps have been taken to preserve and restore it. The altar was inscribed as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of "Complex of Hué Monuments" by the government in 1993 and is thus under special protection.

The ritual worship of offering was revived in 2016, with local officials in attendance.

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Wikipedia