Temple of Heaven - Echo Wall, Beijing

This temple is a complex construction, where we start to be dominated by its main and central building, and keep on discovering new strange details, whose purpose it's impossible to understand without a professional explanation.

That's the case of this wall, topped with ceramics. Echo Wall is a beautiful surrounding The Imperial Vault of Heaven. It is about 3.72 meters high, 90 centimeters thick and 65.1 meters in diameter.

Eaves of the wall and the bricks of the wall, which have been laid hermetically, makes wireless communication between two people possible at the famous Echo Wall, Beijing.

Its shape has some acoustical effects, that we couldn't test because...

See what they say aboutthe how to:

"To make the communication most effective three conditions have to be met. The first condition required for the purpose is that the courtyard should not be too noisy. Secondly..."

Who cares about the second and third? The crowds... you know?

The Echo Wall is a circular wall that surrounds the Imperial Vault of Heaven with a perimeter of 193 metres. It's so called because you and a friend can talk to each other at opposite sides of the wall as it utilises the theory of sound waves and, of course, is great fun.

You can still find some of the locals shouting at this piece of wall. What are they trying to do? Actually, this part of the wall encircle the Imperial Vault of Heaven. If you shout at one part of the wall, your friend from the other end will be able to hear the echo. However, it is almost impossible to prove this now as the place is so crowded. Extreme quiet is needed to hear the effect. :P So don't waste your energy shouting at the wall now.

The Echo Wall is the circular surrounding wall of the celestial warehouse. The hard and smoot5h wall in a perfect circumference constitutes an excellent reflecting body for the sound waves, which travel along the wall surface by continuous reflections. If two persons stand by the wall behind the east annex hall and the west annex hall respectively and speak with their face toward north, they can hear each other's voice clearly. Calls and responses or asks and answers constitite a wonderful conversation.

Also within the Temple of Heaven Park, is this smaller temple, which would be impressive by itself, but is not as grand as the Tiantan. However what IS impressive here is the wall you can see in the background around it. This wall is 65 metres in diameter. If you and a friend stand within the wall, but at opposite sides, if one of you whispers, the other one can hear the whisper at the other end (obviously you need quite elsewhere for this, and there tend to be a lot of visitors all trying it out at the same time, so be patient!)

The circular wall surrounding the Imperial Vault of Heaven is 193.2 metres long, 3.7 metres high and 0.9 metre thick. If someone speaks against the wall at one end then someone else can hear their voice at the other end.

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Only if you are standing on the stone in the middle you can hear a special sound effect. it is very strange as there are no walls to reflect sound. Must do and try in the Temple of Heaven Park.

Here is a shot of the famous Echo Wall from the outside. It is a must see in the Temple of Heaven Park. An additional fee is charged to see and test the effects of the wall from the inside.