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Contrary to its name, the Temple of Heaven isn't just a single temple; it's an expansive park encompassing a stunning temple complex. Nestled within this serene expanse, you'll find three primary structures: the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Imperial Vault of Heaven, and the Circular Mound Altar. These architectural marvels are beautifully aligned along a north-south axis, offering a visually harmonious experience.
Established in 1420 during the Ming Dynasty, the Temple of Heaven, or 'Tiantan Park' as it's locally known, has been a pivotal site for Chinese emperors. It's here that rulers from the Ming and subsequent Qing Dynasty would engage in sacred rituals, praying to the heavens for bountiful harvests.
Navigating this historical gem can be overwhelming, but worry not! Our "Temple of Heaven Travel Guide" is tailored to help you explore efficiently. Whether you're curious about the best paths to take or seeking insights into the park's rich history, this guide will be your roadmap.
Your experiences and insights are invaluable to us. Should you have any questions or wish to share updates based on your visit, we encourage you to leave a message or feedback. Together, we can ensure this guide remains a reliable resource for all future travelers.
Embrace the history, marvel at the architecture, and enjoy the tranquility of Tiantan Park. Your adventure in Beijing starts here!
Though everyday the temple and historical buildings within the park are open to the public basically from 8:00 till 17:00 ( subject to change due to different seasons), the park itself opens a bit earlier at 6:00 and closes at 22:00 ( again subject to change due to the seasons). Many local people have annual passes for easy access to the park.
Getting there about 7:00 or 7:30am, especially on a Sunday morning, you will see local people, most of them are middle-aged or seniors doing various kinds of light physical activity you can imagine, like singing, dancing, playing instruments, playing chess, practising kung fu, tai chi… After 9:30 a.m. it will be slammed with group tourists.
where the emperors sacrificed animals and burned incense sticks to pray for good weather for the crops.
A single gabled circular building, built on a single level of marble stone base. It is located south of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest.
Inside the compound, there is the circular wall, or popularly known as an echo wall which is a curve wall that creates amazing acoustics. For example, you can whisper something from one end and the voice will transmit to the other end.
Used to worship Heaven at the winter solstice where the principal construction is a large round marble terrace named the Circular Mound Altar.
Always keep in mind that here is a huge park, a huge garden. Old cypress trees are worth having a close look.
Some of the cypresses are more than 600 years old. Dr Henry Kissinger, when he visited the temple, stated that while the USA could recreate the Temple of Heaven if it desired, it could not create the trees!
Originally the Temple of Heaven had only one main gate, which faced west, but after it was made a public park in 1949, entrances were also opened on the northern, southern and eastern sides.
So now it mainly has four gates – East, South, West and North. Both East Gate and South Gate are highly recommended.
If you want to see the local people engaged in all kinds of morning activities, you are advised to enter the east gate since most of the morning activities are carried out around the east gate area.
The East Gate entrance is also close to the subway line 05. If you enter the east gate, then your walking itinerary would be east gate – long corridor – The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest – The Imperial Vault of Heaven – Circular Mound Altar – South Gate.
After your north – south tour of the temple travel route, you may turn back and go out of the east gate again and head to the Hongqiao Market across the road.
Start your tour by entering the south gate, then walk along the central way to visit Circular Mound Altar – the Imperial Vault of Heaven, the Hall of Prayer for Harvest – Long Corridor – North Gate or East Gate (Hongqiao Market).
If you visit the Temple of Heaven through the east gate, you take subway line 5 to Tiantan Dongmen Station (East Gate of Temple of Heaven) and then take exit A, close to the East Gate entrance to Temple of Heaven. For the public buses to the east gate, you may try bus 6, 35, 36, 39, 41, 43…
If you use south gate, you also can take a taxi or take bus 36, 120, 122, 800, 803, 958
Basically there are two kinds of entrance tickets – Entrance ticket for the park only and through tickets for entering the park as well the three main historical buildings within the park.
Though there are many trees in the park, all the trees are lined on the both sides of the north-south axis. So no single tree on your wide and spacious axis trip – Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Imperial Vault of Heaven and the Circular Mound.
For summer time, be ready to bring an umbrella for sun protection, bottles of water, and comfy walking shoes. Check Beijing Climate for more information.
The park is so huge. You are advised to wear your most comfortable shoes. It’s a long walk!
If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for Beijing guided tours:
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