坛 (tán): bàn thờ

In ancient times, the emperor would go to the Temple of Heaven every spring to perform a heaven-worshipping ceremony, praying for favorable weather and a bountiful harvest.

In the center of the temple was a stone altar, on which incense burners and offerings were placed; the believers came forward one by one to kneel and pray.

At the wedding, the couple stood before the flower altar, exchanged rings, and made a vow to spend their lives together.

The tour guide pointed to that circular stone altar and explained to the tourists that this was a place used in ancient times to offer sacrifices to the Earth God.

After years of preparation, the villagers finally built an altar at the entrance of the village to enshrine their ancestors' memorial tablets.