The Temple of Heaven Park is located at No.1 Jia, Tiantan East Lane, Dongcheng District, Beijing. It is a World Cultural Heritage and a national 5A-level tourist attraction. As a venue where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties offered sacrifices to heaven, prayed for good harvests, and prayed for rain, the Temple of Heaven is the largest existing ancient sacrificial building complex in China, covering an area of about 2.73 million square meters, equivalent to the size of 400 standard football fields. The architectural layout of the scenic area is in the shape of a "回" (huí, means loop), divided into the Inner Altar and the Outer Altar. The main buildings, including the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Imperial Vault of Heaven, and the Circular Mound Altar, are concentrated in the Inner Altar. Their architectural structure embodies the philosophical idea of "round heaven and square earth", with blue glazed tile roofs symbolizing the sky, serving as important physical examples for studying ancient Chinese cosmology and ritual culture.
History and Culture
The Temple of Heaven was first built in 1420 (the 18th year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty), originally named the "Altar of Heaven and Earth". In 1530 (the 9th year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty), it was renamed the "Temple of Heaven" and was repeatedly repaired during the Qianlong and Guangxu reigns of the Qing Dynasty. Historically, emperors offered sacrifices to heaven here every winter solstice, prayed for good harvests on the first day of the first lunar month, and prayed for rain in early summer, which were the highest-level sacrificial activities in ancient China. In 1918, it was opened to the public as a park and is now a comprehensive scenic area integrating cultural relics protection, science education, and sightseeing.
The buildings of the Temple of Heaven contain rich symbolic meanings: the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is 38 meters high, and the 28 nanmu pillars inside correspond to the 24 solar terms, the four seasons, the 12 months and other calendar concepts; the total number of white marble balustrades of the Circular Mound Altar is 360, symbolizing 360 degrees of the celestial sphere; the "Echo Wall" of the Imperial Vault of Heaven uses acoustic principles to achieve sound reflection, reflecting the scientific wisdom of ancient architecture. During the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the Temple of Heaven received Chinese and foreign guests as a cultural display window. In 2018, the protective renovation of the oil painting and color painting of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests and other buildings was completed, continuing the historical features of more than 600 years.
Main Attractions
Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests
The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is the core building of the Temple of Heaven, 38 meters high and 32.72 meters in diameter, with a triple-eave pyramidal roof covered with blue glazed tiles. There is no crossbeam in the hall, which is supported only by 28 nanmu pillars, among which the central 4 "Dragon Well Pillars" are 19.2 meters high, symbolizing the four seasons; the outer 12 golden pillars symbolize the 12 months, and the further 12 eave pillars symbolize the 12 hours. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is built on a three-tiered white marble platform with a perimeter of 545 meters. The edge of each platform has 1,142 exquisitely carved chi head drain holes, both practical and decorative. This was the place where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties prayed for good harvests in early spring. Now, the hall has restored the sacrificial scene, displaying cultural relics such as shrines and sacrificial vessels.
Circular Mound Altar
The Circular Mound Altar is the place where emperors offered sacrifices to heaven on the winter solstice, built in 1530 (the 9th year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty). The altar is made of three layers of circular white marble, with the upper altar surface 30 meters in diameter, the middle layer 50 meters, the lower layer 70 meters, and a total height of 5.17 meters. The altar surface slabs are arranged in a fan shape, with the "Heart of Heaven Stone" at the center. Speaking on the stone will amplify the voice, producing a resonance effect. The altar is surrounded by a red wall, with three exits in the south and one exit each in the east, west, and north. Each exit has nine steps, symbolizing the "Nine Layers of Heaven". Outside the altar are auxiliary buildings such as the Fanchai Furnace and Yikan, used for burning offerings and burying sacrifices. The existing Fanchai Furnace is about 4 meters high and 5 meters in diameter, built with green glazed bricks.
Imperial Vault of Heaven
The Imperial Vault of Heaven is the place where the spiritual tablet of the Supreme God of Heaven was stored, built in 1538 (the 17th year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty). The building has a single-eave pyramidal roof, 19.5 meters high and 15.6 meters in diameter, covered with blue glazed tiles. The hall is supported by 8 golden pillars, and the ceiling caisson is a golden dragon caisson. Outside the hall is a circular wall, the famous "Echo Wall", 3.72 meters high and 193.2 meters in circumference. Two people standing behind the east and west side halls can clearly hear each other when speaking close to the wall. The Danbi Stone in front of the Imperial Vault of Heaven is carved with patterns of dragons, phoenixes, and sea water, among which the "Two Dragons Playing with a Pearl" relief has a history of more than 400 years, with smooth lines and a strong three-dimensional effect.
Danbi Bridge
The Danbi Bridge is the passage connecting the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests and the Circular Mound Altar, 360 meters long, 28 meters wide, and 4 meters high. It is named because the raised path resembles a bridge. The bridge deck is paved with Aiye bluestone, divided into three roads: the middle road is the "Divine Road" for the spiritual tablets of the Supreme God of Heaven; the left road is the "Imperial Road" for the emperor; and the right road is the "Royal Road" for princes and ministers. The north end of the bridge is slightly higher than the south end, symbolizing "rising step by step". Below the bridge is an east-west arched cave called the "Animal Entering Gate", which was the passage for transporting sacrifices during rituals. The existing stone gate is 2.5 meters high, 1.8 meters wide, and has 4 door pins on the door.
Food
Old Ciqikou Douzhi Shop (Temple of Heaven Branch)
Located opposite the North Gate of the Temple of Heaven, the Old Ciqikou Douzhi Shop is a time-honored Beijing breakfast shop, specializing in traditional douzhi (fermented mung bean juice), jiaoquan (fried dough twists), and youtiao (deep-fried dough sticks). Douzhi is made from fermented mung beans, freshly boiled every morning with moderate acidity, and served with salty and spicy pickles, a standard breakfast for old Beijingers.
South Gate Shuanrou (Temple of Heaven Branch)
South Gate Shuanrou is a well-known halal hotpot restaurant in Beijing. The Temple of Heaven branch is located on the east side of the South Gate of the Temple of Heaven, specializing in copper-pot shuanrou (instant-boiled mutton) and hand-sliced mutton. The restaurant uses small-tailed Han sheep from Xilingol League, Inner Mongolia, and the mutton is divided into parts such as shangnao (upper brain), dasancha (large trident), and xiaosancha (small trident), among which the "Sun Meat" is taken from the sheep's shoulder.
Tianxingju Chaogan
Tianxingju Chaogan Shop is about 800 meters from the West Gate of the Temple of Heaven. Founded during the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty, it is characterized by chaogan (stir-fried liver) and baozi (steamed stuffed buns). Chaogan is made from pig liver and large intestine thickened with starch. In addition, it also serves fried guanchang, which is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside when fried, and is eaten with garlic sauce, a classic old Beijing snack.
Tickets
The joint ticket (including the gate ticket) is 34 yuan per person, and the gate ticket is 15 yuan per person.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "天坛公园官方购票平台" in WeChat to get the latest news or purchase tickets online.
Opening Hours
It is open all year round. The opening hours of the gate are 6:00-21:00 in the peak season (April 1-October 31) (stopping admission at 20:30) and 6:30-21:00 in the off-season (November 1-March 31 of the following year) (stopping admission at 20:00). The opening hours of the attractions are 8:00-17:30 in the peak season (stopping entry at 17:00) and 8:00-16:30 in the off-season (stopping entry at 16:00). The first Saturday of each month is free for the public (reservation required, excluding attractions), and the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is free for people over 60 years old every Friday afternoon. In winter from December to February, the ancient cypresses on both sides of the Danbi Bridge are hung with red lanterns, and it is open until 20:00 at night, which is suitable for shooting night scenes.
Tour Route
Recommended half-day tour route: Enter from the North Gate → Visit the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests (it is recommended to stay for 1 hour and follow the docent to understand the architectural mysteries) → Go to the Imperial Vault of Heaven via the Danbi Bridge (visit the Echo Wall and experience the acoustic phenomenon, about 40 minutes) → Walk to the Circular Mound Altar (climb the altar to feel the ritual of offering sacrifices to heaven, about 30 minutes) → Exit from the South Gate, the whole journey is about 2.5 hours. The in-depth one-day tour can add the Shenle Department (ancient royal music institution, ticket 10 yuan, including bell performance, 10:00/15:00 each day, 20 minutes per session), the Zhai Palace (the place where the emperor fasted before offering sacrifices to heaven, free to visit, about 1 hour), and visit the Hundred Flowers Garden in the Outer Altar (more than 2,000 roses bloom in spring), the whole journey is about 4 hours. It is recommended to bring your own water and snacks, as there are few snack bars in the park.
Transportation
- Subway: Take Line 5 to "Tiantan East Gate" Station (Exit A1), walk about 500 meters to the East Gate; take Line 8 to "Overpass" Station (Exit C), walk about 800 meters to the West Gate.
- Bus: North Gate: Routes 6, 34, 35, 36, 72, 128 to "Temple of Heaven North Gate" Station; East Gate: Routes 6, 34, 35, 36, 72, 128 to "Temple of Heaven East Gate" Station; South Gate: Routes 36, 53, 122, 141, 17, 25, 59 to "Temple of Heaven South Gate" Station; West Gate: Routes 2, 20, 35, 36, 53, 71, 120, 126 to "Temple of Heaven West Gate" Station.
- Self-driving: There are Tiantan East Lane Parking Lot (about 100 parking spaces, 15 yuan/hour) and Tiantan South Gate Parking Lot (about 80 parking spaces, 12 yuan/hour) around the park. It is recommended to go on weekdays, as parking spaces are tight on weekends.
Must-visit Attractions
- Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests: 38 meters high, beamless all-wood structure. The 28 nanmu pillars in the hall correspond to the calendar. The best photography time is 9 a.m. when sunlight shines through the windows into the hall. It is recommended to shoot the full view of the three-tiered platform, and a wide-angle lens can be used.
- Circular Mound Altar: Standing on the Heart of Heaven Stone, the voice resonates. The three-tiered altar has diameters of 30/50/70 meters, symbolizing "round heaven and square earth". Night sessions are open from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the 15th day of each lunar month, and the altar for offering sacrifices to heaven appears more solemn under the moonlight.
- Echo Wall of the Imperial Vault of Heaven: Two people can clearly hear each other when talking close to the wall 60 meters apart. The wall is 3.72 meters high and 193 meters in circumference. It is recommended to tap the wall lightly with a coin to hear the sound reflection effect. The best experience period is before 10 a.m. on non-holidays.
- Danbi Bridge: A 360-meter-long divine road, the bridge deck is 4 meters above the ground, and the north end is 1.2 meters higher than the south end. Walking on it feels "rising step by step". The stone gate of the Animal Entering Gate under the bridge is well preserved, and details of ancient architecture can be photographed.
Tour Tips
- It is recommended to play for 3-4 hours. In spring (April-May), view the peonies in the Hundred Flowers Garden; in autumn (October-November), admire the red leaves of ancient cypresses. Avoid the high temperature in summer (July-August) (with an average daily tourist volume of more than 80,000).
- Wear light and non-slip shoes. There are many stone paths in the park, and some areas are worn and slippery. Bring a sun hat in summer, as there is no shelter around the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. Prepare scarves and gloves in winter, as there is no heating in the hall, and the room temperature is about 5°C.
- Free explanations by volunteers are available at 9 a.m. every Tuesday and Thursday, gathering at the North Gate tourist center.
- Recommended photography locations: Shoot the full view from the side of the East Annex Hall of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, shoot the radial stone slabs of the altar from above the Heart of Heaven Stone of the Circular Mound Altar, shoot the curve of the Echo Wall on the west side of the Imperial Vault of Heaven, and shoot the central axis extension in the middle of the Danbi Bridge.
- It is recommended to go to the Old Ciqikou Douzhi Shop at the North Gate for breakfast or the South Gate Shuanrou at the South Gate for lunch, with an average per capita consumption of 50-150 yuan. There are only simple fast food restaurants at the North and East Gates of the scenic area, and the prices are relatively high.
Notes
- The park implements "one-way sightseeing". Enter through the North Gate and exit through the South Gate, or enter through the West Gate and exit through the East Gate to avoid backtracking. Tourist maps can be obtained at the tourist center.
- Carrying pets and drones into the park is prohibited. Touching cultural relics in buildings such as the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is forbidden, and the use of flashlights when taking photos is prohibited to avoid damaging the colored paintings.
- The steps of the Circular Mound Altar are relatively high, with 9 steps on each altar surface. The elderly and children need to pay attention to safety. There are no guardrails on both sides of the Danbi Bridge; walk close to the inner side to avoid crowding and pushing.
- Purchasing a joint ticket requires visiting all attractions at one time, and re-entry is not allowed after leaving the park. The last trolleybus departs at 18:00, and missing it requires walking out of the park.
- In case of severe weather such as heavy rain or strong wind, the second-floor platform of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests will be temporarily closed, and staff will guide visitors to indoor areas such as the Imperial Vault of Heaven. In snowy winters, the park closes 30 minutes earlier.