Temple of Heaven Facts
Chinese: 天坛 Tiāntán /tyen-tan/ ‘Heaven Temple’
Built: 1420
Purpose: For emperors to worship heaven
Popularity: China’s #1 temple, TripAdvisor #4 for Beijing
Popular activities: appreciating the architecture and watching local people doing morning exercises
Suited to: anyone, especially history and architecture lovers
Park area: 2.7 sq km (1 sq mi)
Time needed: 2 hours
Location: central Beijing, 3 km (2 mi) south of the Forbidden City
Temple of Heaven History
From 1406 to 1420, the temple complex was built, as was the Forbidden City, during Emperor Yongle’s re-establishment of Beijing as China’s capital.
In 1530, the Imperial Vault and Mound Altar were added by Emperor Jiajing.
In 1889, the main hall was destroyed by a lightning strike, but it was rebuilt in the next decade.
In 1900, the temple complex was used as a temporary command post by foreign allies to defeat the Boxer Rebellion. Buildings were destroyed and the temple fell into neglect.
In 1918, the temple area was turned into a park and opened to the public.
In 1998, the Temple of Heaven was listed as UNESCO World Heritage.
