Beijing Life at the Temple of Heaven
What I enjoy the most when visiting the Temple of Heaven, is observing the way the area is used by local Beijingers. The Temple of Heaven is surrounded by a large park. This is often filled with people dancing, singing, taking their birds for a walk, playing poker, or just resting. Most people using this area are retirees who live close by and are spending time with others in the community. They are not bothered by the tourists and just go about enjoying their time there with others.
Avoiding the crowds
On most occasions I have been able to stroll around the Temple of Heaven with ease, and without being overwhelmed by the crowds. However, I did go one time during the National Holiday, the first week of October, and it took me 10 minutes just to get to the entrance to the Temple of Heaven. The crowds were manageable as no one was pushing to get ahead. It was just a matter of being in very close proximity to others, and moving at snail pace. Once inside, it was not too bad as the buildings are spread out over a large area. So, if you have an aversion to big crowds, the first week of October would be the week to avoid.
The Temple of Heaven is also a favorite place for photography. It is common to see people in wedding outfits, or traditional Chinese costume, with professional photographers working hard. The Temple of Heaven makes a striking backdrop.
The rich history of The Temple of Heaven
Instructions to build the Temple of Heaven came from Emperor Yongle during the Ming Dynasty. The Forbidden City was also commissioned by him. The buildings were constructed in the early 1400s. The purpose of this temple was to act as a center for religious worship of Heaven and Earth, following Confucian ceremonies observed at that time.
Buildings and architectural meaning
The buildings in the complex have been designed to imitate heaven and earth. The south walls of the complex are a square shape, representing earth, and the wall to the north is circular, representing heaven. This is mirrored in the building design, with the circular shapes representing heaven.
The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests
Most visitors come to see the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. This is the spectacular building standing at the north of the complex. Although it was completed in 1429, it was reproduced after it burned down in 1889. Much symbolism is contained within its design. It is circular with three tiers. The spectacular blue tiles represent the sky. The dragon and phoenix paintings in the interior represent the emperor and empress. The interior 28 pillars represent periods of time: Twelve hours, twelve months, and four seasons.
The Imperial Vault of Heaven
To the south of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is the Imperial Vault of Heaven. This structure is much smaller, but is still a beautiful and ornate building. It was originally built in 1530 during the Ming Dynasty and was used to store tablets used in ceremonies. Sacrifices of animals also took place on the Alter of Heaven. It is found with the Echo Wall. It is said that a person can call loudly at one end of the wall, and hear their echo reflected back. I didn’t get many results from my efforts. Perhaps there were too many people impacting the reflection of sound!
The Circular Mound Altar
To the south of the complex is the Circular Mound Altar. Here there is repetition of symbolism of heaven and earth, the outer square wall representing earth, and the circular altar representing heaven. The alter is made up of three terraces, the number nine incorporated into the architecture to represent the emperor. The emperor would make an animal sacrifice here on the Winter Solstice.
Tickets can be purchased on the Wechat mini app before arrival. Just type “Tiantan” or “天坛” in Wechat search and the miniapp will come up as the first option in the search. Tickets can be purchased in the bottom left option.
How is the Temple of Heaven written in Chinese?
Chinese name: Tiantan / 天坛
The Temple of Heaven Price and Opening Hours
Price: Combo ticket for entrance, and three temple sites 34 RMB (April to October), 28 RMB (November to March)
Opening hours: Every day.
November to March: The Temple complex 8:00 to 17:00. Ticket sales end at 16:30.
Entry to the park 6:30 to 22:00. Entry to the park ends at 21:00.
April to October: The Temple complex 8:00 to 18:00. Ticket sales end at 17:30.
Entry to the park 6:00 to 22:00. Entry to the park ends at 21:00.
Getting there
Address: No.1 Tiantandongli, Dongcheng District, Beijing (北京市东城区天坛东里甲1号)
Closest subway: Tiantan Dongmen Station, Line 5 (天坛东门，5号线)
