The last picture in this series is of the Circular Mound Altar that is open to the sky (Heaven). Its floor consists of nine concentric rings of stone with an empty circle in the center. It is at this very point that the ancient emperor would consummate the ritual and receive blessings directly from Heaven.

Several acupuncture points refer to this important spiritual activity including Small Intestine 17, "Heaven's Appearance," Bladder 7, "Communication with Heaven," and P1, "Meeting with Heaven."

Other acupuncture points symbolize their energetic function through reference to this mound or mounds similar to this one from earlier historical periods. These include Stomach 32, "Outer Mound," referring to the energetic activity that occurs prior to that taking place within the mound itself, and Spleen 5, "Shang Mound," referring to the ritual mounds of the earlier Shang dynasty. To learn more about these acupuncture pointnames in reference to energetic physiology and the importance of the spirit in ancient Chinese medicine