Temple of Heaven | Things to Do In & Around Beijing, China

Constructed in the early 1400s, the Temple of Heaven or 天坛 is a complex that was created for leaders to pray for a good harvest. It was built during the reign of the Yongle emperor (who was also responsible for the Forbidden City).

The Temple of Heaven was named a World Heritage site in 1998. It covers nearly 3 square kilometers and it has three main complexes: the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Imperial Vault of Heaven, and the Circular Mound Altar.

The temple is located within a large park dotted with beautiful doorways and open spaces where you’ll spot locals getting in their exercise.

The park opens at 6am and closes at 8pm (but the main buildings close at 5pm) and the main entrance ticket does not include access to the main buildings (you’ll need a through ticket for this).

Vocabulary

Chinese	Pinyin	English
天坛	Tiāntán	Temple of Heaven
祈年殿	Qínián diàn	Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests
皇穹宇	Huáng qióng yǔ	Imperial Vault of Heaven
圜丘坛	Huán qiū tán	Circular Mound Alter

What about you?

Where are some of the places that you’ve loved visiting while you’re traveling?

I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!