Temple of Heaven |
| Our Tour Group in the Temple of Heaven  Pictures  Video eCard |
Covering an area of 2,700,000 square meters (3,529,412 square yards), the Temple of Heaven is larger than the Forbidden City. As the 'Sons of Heaven’, Chinese emperors were precluded from building a dwelling for themselves that was greater than the earthly residence dedicated to Heaven hence the difference in overall size of the two complexes. The temple is enclosed by a long wall. The northern part within the wall is semicircular symbolizing the heavens and the southern part is square symbolizing the earth. The northern part is higher than the southern part. This design shows that the heaven is high and the earth is low and the design reflected an ancient Chinese thought of 'the heaven is round and the earth is square'.
The Temple is divided by two encircling walls into an inner part and outer part. The main buildings lie at the south and north ends of the middle axis of the inner part. The most magnificent buildings are the Circular Mound Altar (Huanqiutan), the Imperial Vault of Heaven (Huangqiongyu) and the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest (Qiniandian) from south to north.
Recommended Touring Routes
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| Map of Temple of Heaven (Click to enlarge) |
2. North Gate → Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests → East Annex Hall → West Annex Hall → Danbi Bridge → Echo Wall → Imperial Vault of Heaven → Three Echo Stones → Danbi Bridge → South Divine Kitchen → Circular Mound Altar → Lingxing Gates → Palace of Abstinence → Divine Music Administration
Circular Mound AltarLocated in the southern part of the Temple of Heaven, The Circular Altar Mound is actually the Temple of Heaven in the practical sense. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the emperors would offer sacrifice here to Heaven on the day of the Winter Solstice every year. Its famous buildings include the Lingxing Gates, the Lantern Viewing Pole, the Terrace of Worshipping Heaven, the Heaven Heart Stone, the Firewood Stove and the Divine Kitchen Courtyard.
Imperial Vault of HeavenAlong the middle axis, from the Circular Mound Altar to the north, you will see the Imperial Vault of Heaven. It is the place housing the Gods’ tablets to be used at the Heaven Worship Ceremony. It is famous for the Echo Wall, Three Echo Stones and the Dialogue Stone, which are all interesting attractions utilizing the theory of sound wave.
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Danbi BridgeAlso called the Vermilion Steps Bridge, the Danbi Bridge connects the northern part and the southern part. The south end of the Bridge is lower than its north end. The emperors believed that they could go to heaven by this Bridge, hence the name, Sacred Way. The Sacred way had three routes, the central one was the Imperial Route exclusively used by the Emperor and on one side was the Princes’ Route. On the other side was the route for high officials.
Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests |
| Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests |
Palace of AbstinenceLocated in the southwest of the Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Palace of Abstinence is where the emperor fasted before the Heaven Worship Ceremony began. It has several distinctive buildings, such as the Beamless Hall, the Rest Palace, the Belfry, etc.
Divine Music AdministrationLocated to the southwest of the Palace of Abstinence, the Divine Music Administration is one of the five major buildings in the Temple of Heaven. This was the location of the managing body for the ceremonial musical instruments as well as the place where the sacrificial ritual was devised and rehearsed. This was the most important ritual music academy of the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Heaven Worship CultureEstablished by Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty, the annual Worship of Heaven ceremony by the emperor took place here. The ceremony was subject to special regulations for its preparation, place, time, procedures, music and dance. This ceremonial practice confirmed the divine right of emperor and the religious belief of the ancient Chinese people.
FAQs on Temple of HeavenToday’s Temple of Heaven
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| Leisure activities of Beijingers in the park |
The 9th Tiantan Culture WeekTime: Lunar January 1– 5 (January 10-14, 2013)
Activities: Reproduce The God of Heaven Praying Ceremony according to the history record in the Qing Dynasty, including the honor guard performance, ritual music and dance, and the ancient music show. The ritual parade is made up of over 300 guards. You'll see the tradition of worshipping the god of heaven vividly. There are also special ancient music concerts in the Divine Music Administration every day.
| Ticket Type | Nov.1-Mar.31 (next year) | Apr.1-Oct.31 |
| Entrance Fee | CNY 10 | CNY 15 |
| Combination Ticket | CNY 30 | CNY 35 |
| Hall of Ceremonial Music & Hall of Abstinence | CNY 10 | CNY 10 |
| Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, Circular Mound Altar & Echo Wall | CNY 20 | CNY 20 |
| Opening Hours | 06:00-22:00 (the inside scenic area opens at 08:00); | |
| Recommended | 1.5 hours | |
| Electronic Guide Equipment | Position: At the four gates | |
| By Subway | Subway Line 5: get off at Tiantan Dongmen Station, Leave from Exit A and you'll find the East Gate of the Park. | |
| By Bus | Take bus 6, 34, 35, 36, 39, 41, 43, 60, 116, 610, 707, 723, 743, 957, or 958 and get off at Tiantan Dongmen (East Gate) Station. | |
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Nearby it, there are many interesting places to see. Taoranting Park is few blocks west of it. Beijing Museum of Natural History is next to the west gate. Get out of Tiantan Dongmen Subway Station of Line 5 from Exit A, you can see the Hongqiao Pearl Market on the other side of the road.
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