Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven is the most holy of Beijing's Imperial temples. For this is where the Emperor came every winter solstice to worship heaven and to solemnly pray for a good harvest. Temple of Heaven Facts Names : Temple of Heaven天坛 History : Built in AD 1420, the Ming Dynasty Status : Holy place for the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for a good harvest Location : 1 Tiantan Road, Chongwen District, Beijing Opening Hours : from 8:00 to 18:00 in high season. From 8:00 to 17:00 in the low season. Admission Fee : From April 1 to October 31, the ticket is CNY 15, and the combo ticket is CNY 34. From November 1 to March 31, the ticket is CNY 10 and the combo ticket is CNY 28. How to Get There : Bus 6, 34, 35, 36, 39, 43, 60, 116, 128, 525, 623, 684, and subway Line 5 Temple of Heaven Layout The Temple of Heaven in Beijing is one of the world's largest ancient architectural complexes, used for worshiping heaven. The Temple of Heaven is composed of two main buildings: the Circular Mound Altar and the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests , located opposite each other, one south, one north, forming an axis. In the middle connecting them is a 28-meter-wide and 360-meter-long brick lane . On the west of the axis is the Hall of Abstinence, the accommodation for the emperor three days before the ceremony. During the three days, the emperor was unable to drink wine. He could only eat vegetables, but not garlic or onions. The emperor couldn't have any entertainment, nor could he handle any state affairs. The principle of the architecture of the Temple of Heaven is to highlight the vast and lofty sky, and to express the supremacy of Heaven . The design of the signal building of the Circular Mound Altar and the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests are both circular: the outer stone pedestal and eaves are smaller for each layer upwards, reflecting a feeling of getting closer to heaven . The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is the highlight of the Temple of Heaven. Originally built in 1420 (during the reign of Emperor Yongle), the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests was the earliest building of the Temple of Heaven and was also called the Hall of Great Sacrifice. In 1751 (during the reign