Danbi Bridge

　　Originally built in the 18th year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty (1420), it is 360 meters long and 30 meters wide—a massive, elongated brick-and-stone platform. It is called a "bridge" due to the two culverts beneath it. The Danbi Bridge runs from north to south, slightly elevated at its southern end above ground level, and over 4.5 meters high at the northern end. Its southern end connects to the Circular Mound’s Chengzhen Gate, while the northern end links to the southern brick gate of the Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests, uniting the Circular Mound and the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests into a single complex that forms the central axis of the Temple of Heaven’s architecture.

　　The Danbi Bridge is flat and broad, with its center paved in white stone that is slightly convex and arched. In ancient times, this path was used for the divine sedan during ceremonies and was called the Sacred Way. To either side of the Sacred Way were brick-paved walkways for the emperor and his ministers.

　　On the east side of the Danbi Bridge stands a square brick platform called the Dressing Platform, enclosed by carved stone railings on three sides. This was where the emperor would wash and change clothes before ceremonies. During the annual Prayer for Good Harvest ceremony at the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, a circular tent called the “tent chamber,” commonly known as the “Little Golden Hall”—a movable structure—was first erected here. The emperor would come here from the Hall of Abstinence to change into ceremonial attire before proceeding to the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. During the Ming Dynasty, emperors would even remove their shoes before entering the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, symbolizing purity and ensuring no dust was brought onto the sacred altar. After removing their shoes, the Sacred Way (i.e., the Danbi Bridge) they walked on was covered with a mat of palm bark. This broad pathway leads directly to the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.

　　Beneath the main pathway lies an east-west arched passageway called the Animal Entrance. During each ceremony, animals to be sacrificed were bound with yellow silk cords, live fish were carried in wooden basins, and drummers and musicians accompanied them through this passage—thus it was also nicknamed the “Ghost Gate.”

　　The Temple of Heaven is divided into an inner and outer enclosure. The inner enclosure consists of the Circular Mound and the Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests. The northern part of the inner enclosure is the Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests, while the southern part is the Circular Mound. A 360-meter-long Danbi Bridge connects the two altars, with the major structures of both located at either end of the bridge—the Circular Mound and the Imperial Vault of Heaven at the southern end, and the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests and the Hall of Imperial Zenith at the northern end. Along the eastern side of the Danbi Bridge are auxiliary buildings that support the sacrificial functions of the Temple of Heaven, such as the Slaughter Pavilion, Divine Kitchen, and Divine Storage. The western side of the Danbi Bridge houses the Hall of Abstinence, where the emperor would fast before the grand Heaven Worship Ceremony. The outer enclosure is a wooded area densely planted with trees. In the southwestern part of the outer enclosure is the Court of Imperial Music, where ritual music was practiced and musicians trained during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

　　Also known as the Sea-paved Avenue, the Danbi Bridge is the main axis of the Temple of Heaven’s inner enclosure, a north-south road connecting the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests and the Imperial Vault of Heaven. This 360-meter-long, 29.4-meter-wide brick-and-stone platform is called a “bridge” because there is an arched passageway beneath it, creating a three-dimensional intersection with the road above. The southern end of the Danbi Bridge is about 1 meter high, while the northern end rises to approximately 3 meters, gradually inclining from south to north. This design symbolizes the emperor’s rise in status, representing ascension to heaven. It also signifies that the journey to heaven requires not only upward steps but also a long and solemn path. As the road to heaven, the central stone path on the bridge is called the “Sacred Way.” To its left is the “Imperial Path” for the emperor, and to its right is the “Noble Path” for princes and ministers. The deities traverse the Sacred Way, the emperor walks the Imperial Path, and nobles follow the Noble Path.

Temple of Heaven Park

Circular Mound

Court of Imperial Music

Hall of Imperial Zenith

Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests

Imperial Vault of Heaven

Echo Wall of the Temple of Heaven