《明史·志·卷二十四》
说礼的人认为，大祀殿下面是祭坛，上面是房屋，房屋就是明堂，祭坛就是圜丘，众多圣贤相传继承，也是孔子遵从《周礼》的意思。 
说者谓大祀殿下坛上屋，屋即明堂，坛即圜丘，列圣相承，亦孔子从周之意。 
When discussing about the ritual, they believe that the ground of the Great Temple is an altar, and the top is a house, the house is the Hall of Culture, the altar is the Circular Mound, and many holy and wise people passed on and inherited this meaning, and it is also the meaning of Confucius, who obeys the "Rites of Zhou."