(This picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.)
I visited China for the first time in 1987. While in Beijing, our host took us to visit the Temple of Heaven, which was constructed in 1420. One of three major structures in the Temple is the Imperial Vault of Heaven. The Vault of Heaven is made of bricks and timber and is surrounded by white marble railings. The Vault contained a shrine which held the Tablet of the God of Heaven. The Chinese emperor was considered the Son of Heaven.
The picture above was scanned from a slide.
