明代北京朝天宫规制探讨

On the Original Design of the Palace of Venerating Heaven in the Ming-dynasty Beijing

朝天宫曾经雄峙在北京阜成门内,是明代京师宫观之首。整组建筑建成于1433年,在天启年间的一场大火中化为灰烬,文献中描述它的笔墨极少。然而朝天宫毁后,其基址尺度却长久地留在了西城街巷中。根据碑文记载,这座皇家道场模仿了南京朝天宫的规制。依靠至今尚存的南京朝天宫及其文献记载,再参考北京金元时期的皇家道场天长观(长春宫),我们得以在朝天宫遗留下的基址上描绘它曾经的规制,并一窥皇家敕建宫观规制传承中的逻辑。

Once dominating the western wards, Chaotiangong or Palace of Venerating Heaven was at the leading Taoist temple in the Ming capital of Beijing. The complex was built in 1433 but burnt down to ashes after 193 years in the Tianqi reign period without leaving many literary records.However, Chaotiangong had put its stamp on the urban fabric surrounding the temple. From a stele inscription we can also know that it imitated a temple with the same name that has survived in parts in Nanjing, the first capital of the Ming dynasty. Through further comparison with imperial Taoist temples of previous dynasties such as Tianchangguan or Temple of Long-lasting Heaven of the Jin and Yuan, we can make conjectures about the original design and layout of the Beijing Chaotiangong. This then allows us to suggest basic characteristics of the spatial logic and conventional form of imperial Taoist temple architecture.