Temple of heaven - Inside the Imperial vault of Heaven

Here were stored the tablets of the imperial ancestors as well as the tablets of heavenly gods and the one of Shangdi.
Nowadays, there is only the tablet of Shangdi.
Long before the arrival of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism, Chinese people from ancient times, at least since the Zhou dynasty (11th to 3rd century B.C.), worshiped Shangdi, incorporeal god and creator of the universe. It was represented by no picture nor statue. Later on, Shangdi was associated with Tian, the god of Heaven. Confucianism and Taoism have integrated it into their believes.
Note  The religion of the emperor was mainly Taoism during the Ming dynasty (around the 16th century) and thereafter it became Tibetan Buddhism under the Qing.
Other tablets are exposed in the outbuildings.