Ancient royal heaven worship ceremony held in Temple of Heaven

Performers wearing costumes of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) act during a performance presenting the ancient royal heaven worship ceremony in the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 10, 2013. The Temple of Heaven, first built in 1420 and used to be the imperial sacrificial altar during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing dynasties, held reenaction of the ancient royal ritual for the worship of the heaven on Sunday, the first day of Chinese Lunar Year of the Snake. The performance will also be given in the next four days. (Xinhua/Liang Zhiqiang)