Temple of Emperors of Successive Dynasties

　　The Temple of Emperors of Successive Dynasties, commonly known as the Emperors’ Temple, was first built in the ninth year of the Jiajing reign during the Ming Dynasty (1530). It was a place where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties paid homage to their ancestors. Its political status was equal to that of the Imperial Ancestral Temple and the Confucius Temple, and together they were known 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 have always been regarded as the ancestors of the Chinese people and were 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 to 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, except for those who were tyrannical or incompetent and met untimely deaths, all emperors who had once ruled should have memorial tablets enshrined in the temple. Emperor Qianlong further proposed the idea that “the continuity of Chinese governance has never been broken,” and selected emperors from dynasties not yet represented in the temple for enshrinement. After several adjustments by Qianlong, the final number of emperors honored reached 188. Over the 380 years from the eleventh year of the Jiajing reign in the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty, a total of 662 grand sacrificial ceremonies were held at the Temple of Emperors of Successive Dynasties.

　　Covering an area of 18,000 square meters, the Temple of Emperors of Successive Dynasties is the only surviving imperial temple from the Ming and Qing dynasties that honors the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors of China, as well as successive emperors and meritorious officials. It stands as a historical testament to the continuous and unbroken development of China as a unified multi-ethnic nation. After the Republic of China was founded, the worship ceremonies ceased, and the site was repurposed for educational use. 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, and in 1996, it was declared a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the State Council.

The Temple of Emperors of Successive Dynasties isAAAa [level] scenic spot

The Temple of Emperors of Successive Dynasties is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.