Museum of the Temple of Emperors of Successive Dynasties in Beijing

Museum of the Temple of Emperors of Successive Dynasties in Beijing

The Museum of the Temple of Emperors of Successive Dynasties in Beijing is a national AAA-level tourist attraction and a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level.

Commonly known as the Temple of Emperors, the Museum of the Temple of Emperors of Successive Dynasties was first built in the ninth year of the Jiajing reign during the Ming Dynasty (1530). It served as a site where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties paid tribute to their ancestors. Its political status was on par with that of the Imperial Ancestral Temple and the Confucius Temple, collectively referred to as the Three Major Imperial Temples of Beijing during the Ming and Qing periods. Since ancient times, feudal rulers had the custom of worshipping their ancestors. The Three Sovereigns were always regarded as the ancestors of the Chinese people and revered by emperors throughout the ages; while the former emperors were seen as role models for later generations to learn from and emulate, hence also deserving of worship. Initially, Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, designated 18 emperors for worship. After Emperor Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty established the capital in Beijing, this number was set at 25.

The Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong emperors all placed great importance on the Temple of Emperors of Successive Dynasties. Emperor Kangxi once issued an edict stating that, with the exception of those who were tyrannical or incompetent and met untimely deaths, all emperors who had once ruled should have memorial tablets erected for them in the temple. Emperor Qianlong further proposed the idea that “the continuity of Chinese heritage must never be broken,” and selected emperors from dynasties not yet represented in the temple for enshrinement. After several adjustments, Emperor Qianlong finally settled on a total of 188 emperors for worship. Over the 380 years from the eleventh year of the Jiajing reign in the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty, 662 grand sacrificial ceremonies were held at the Temple of Emperors of Successive Dynasties.

The Temple of Emperors of Successive Dynasties covers an area of 18,000 square meters. It is the only existing Ming and Qing imperial temple in China dedicated to the worship of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, successive emperors, and civil and military officials. It stands as a historical testament to the continuous and unbroken development of China as a unified multi-ethnic nation. Worship ceremonies ceased after the Republic of China era, and the site was repurposed for use by the education authorities. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, it was used by the Third Girls’ Middle School of Beijing, which was later renamed Beijing No. 159 Middle School. In 1979, it was designated as a Cultural Relics Protection Unit of Beijing Municipality, and in 1996, it was listed as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level by the State Council.

Location

No. 131, Fuchengmennei Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, China, Postal Code: 100034

Tel: (86)010-66517739

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Municipal-Level Cultural Relics Protection Units in Beijing

· Fourth Batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level