The Temple of Heaven is situated in southeastern urban Beijing and it covers an area of 2.73 square kilometers. It was first built in 1420 and the subsequent emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties also chose this place to pray for the abundant harvest in the coming year.

Besides the god of heaven, Chinese emperors also worshipped the gods of earth, water, and war. Therefore, with The Temple of Heaven in the south of Beijing, there are also the Temple of Earth in the north, the Temple of Moon in the west and the Temple of Sun in the east. The Temple of Heaven, the most important among the four, is composed of the Earthly Mount, the House of Heavenly Lord and the Hall of Prayer for good Harvest.

When tourists visit The Temple of Heaven in Beijing, tourists can try to clap the hands at the centre of the platform to see if tourists can hear the echo. It is said that the echo will appear because of the concavity of the surrounding walls.

The Temple of Heaven has successfully been a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998 and it has undergone the restoration from 2005 to 2006 to prepare for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

For the convenience of your Beijing travel in China, below is a selection of nearby Beijing hotels. For more sightseeing attractions in Beijing, please visit our Beijing Tourism website for a map to guide your China tour and to find your ideal China hotel.