Hall of Abstinence (Beijing)

 palace, draw only border

The Hall of Abstinence is located near the western entrance of the Temple of Heaven. It is encircled by two walls. The Inner wall is called Brick City, and the outer wall is called the Purple Wall. To further ensure the safety of the emperor, a moat was built to surround the Purple Wall. Of the two stone pavilions, the right pavilion kept time while the left one has a bronze plate with the word "fasting" engraved on it as a constant reminder to the emperor to observe fasting rules. The beamless hall was one of the most famous buildings in Beijing. A blue-tiled roof atop the hall symbolized that the emperor must always acknowledge the Supremacy of the Heavenly Emperor. Before each ceremony, the emperors spent two days fasting in the Forbidden City and completed the three-day fast in the Hall of Abstinence.