Temple of Heaven Park

　　The Temple of Heaven is located in the southeastern part of Beijing, on the east side of Yongdingmennei Street in Chongwen District. Covering an area of approximately 2.7 million square meters, it is the largest existing ancient sacrificial architectural complex in China. The Working People’s Cultural Palace on the eastern side of today’s Tiananmen is where emperors used to worship their ancestors, while Zhongshan Park on the western side was for worshipping the god of harvest, that is, the god of the five grains and farmland.

　　Throughout Beijing, there is the Altar of Earth in the north for worshipping the earth, the Temple of Heaven in the south for worshipping the heavens, the Altar of the Sun in the east for worshipping the sun, and the Altar of the Moon in the west for worshipping the moon. Among them, the Temple of Heaven is the most dazzling and majestic. The Temple of Heaven was first built in the 18th year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty (1420), and was renovated and reconstructed during the Qianlong and Guangxu reigns of the Qing Dynasty. It served as the site where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties worshipped the heavens and prayed for good harvests. The Temple of Heaven is the collective name for the Circular Mound Altar and the Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests. It has two sets of walls, forming an inner and outer altar. The southern wall is square, and the northern wall is round, symbolizing the roundness of the sky and the squareness of the earth. The main structures are located within the inner altar. The Circular Mound Altar is in the south, and the Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests is in the north. Both altars lie along the same north-south axis, separated by a wall. The main buildings of the Circular Mound Altar include the Circular Mound itself, the Imperial Vault of Heaven, and others. The main structures of the Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests include the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Hall of Imperial Zenith, the Gate of Prayer for Good Harvests, and more. The famous Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is situated at the very north. It is the most magnificent and splendid building in the Temple of Heaven and is also imagined to be the place closest to the heavens. The three-tiered roof of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is covered entirely with dark blue glazed tiles, symbolizing the color of the sky.

　　Except for the central Circular Stone, which is round, the surrounding rings are all fan-shaped, and their numbers are also yang numbers, symbolizing the nine layers of heaven. The tablet of the Heavenly Emperor is placed on the Circular Stone, signifying the Heavenly Emperor’s exalted position above the nine heavens. The Circular Mound Altar also has auxiliary structures such as the Imperial Vault of Heaven and the Echo Wall. If the Tiananmen Gate Tower has become a symbol of China, then the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests of the Temple of Heaven is the symbol of this immortal city of Beijing. Indeed, this unparalleled structure is a crystallization of wisdom and civilization. Within its height of 38 meters and diameter of 30 meters, it encompasses such profound knowledge.

　　At the same time, it also represents the pinnacle of China's wooden architecture. With only wooden mortise joints and bracket sets, the entire masterpiece was completed using nothing but wood. Another marvelous aspect of the Temple of Heaven is its incredible acoustics. Stand at the center of the Circular Mound Altar and shout, and you will hear a bright and deep echo rising from the depths of the ground—this sound seems to come from the earth’s core, yet also from the sky. That is why people have given it a mysterious name: the “Heavenly Heart Stone.” Around the Imperial Vault of Heaven, there is a thick wall about 0.9 meters high. If you stand at one end and speak softly against the wall, someone standing at the other end can hear you very clearly simply by pressing their ear to the wall, even with a stereo effect. This is the “Echo Wall.” It proves that the Chinese people 500 years ago were already able to apply the principles of acoustics.

Temple of Heaven Park isAAAAA-rated attraction

The Temple of Heaven Park is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Circular Mound

Divine Music Administration

Hall of Imperial Zenith

Danbi Bridge

Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests

Imperial Vault of Heaven

Temple of Heaven Echo Wall

Temple of Heaven

Temple of Heaven

Temple of Heaven

Temple of Heaven

Temple of Heaven