Temple of Heaven (Tiantan)
UNESCO World Heritage Site (Temple Of Heaven: An Imperial Sacrificial Altar In Beijing, 1998); National 5A Tourist Attraction · Beijing, Beijing
The imperial altar complex where Ming and Qing emperors, as Sons of Heaven, prayed for good harvests and offered sacrifices at the winter solstice: a walled park of about 273 hectares in southern Beijing, completed in 1420. Its symbol is the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, a triple-roofed circular hall of blue glazed tiles on a three-tiered marble terrace, raised in timber without nails and rebuilt after a fire in 1889. A raised walkway leads south to the Imperial Vault of Heaven with its Echo Wall and to the open Circular Mound Altar. Around the monuments, ancient cypress groves fill each morning with locals practising tai chi, dancing, singing and playing cards.
1 Tiantan East Road, Dongcheng District, Beijing, Beijing, China
Park open daily 6:00-22:00 April-October and 6:30-22:00 November-March (last entry 21:00). Main halls roughly 8:00-18:00 April-October and 8:00-17:00 November-March, reported closed Mondays except public holidays.
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