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Temple of Heaven Park & Dongcheng South

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Beijing Natural History Museum (Ziran Bowuguan) entrance..

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Overview

A pilgrimage to the Temple of Heaven (天坛; Tiāntán), 2 miles (3km) south of the Forbidden City, is as mandatory for tourists today as it was for emperors and their entourage coming here at winter solstice to pay tribute to the gods. You'll also find enticing remnants of Beijing's city fortifications, museums, plenty of Peking duck and the ersatz shopping avenue of Qianmen Dajie, conveying tourists along Beijing's central spine due south of Tian'anmen Square.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest in Temple of Heaven Park, Chongwen.

    Temple of Heaven Park

    Temple of Heaven Park & Dongcheng South

    An oasis of methodical Confucian design, the 267-hectare Temple of Heaven Park is unique. It originally served as a vast stage for solemn rites performed…

  • Southeast Corner Watchtower, with purple flowers in foreground.

    Southeast Corner Watchtower

    Temple of Heaven Park & Dongcheng South

    This immense fortress, part of the Ming City Wall Ruins Park, guarded the southeast corner of Beijing's city walls. Originally built in 1439 but repaired…

  • Ming Ruins Park.

    Ming City Wall Ruins Park

    Temple of Heaven Park & Dongcheng South

    This wistful stretch of brick and stone is all that remains (besides a couple of other denuded nubs) of Beijing's once formidable city walls, girding the…

  • The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests in Beijing.

    Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests

    Temple of Heaven Park & Dongcheng South

    The crowning glory of the Temple of Heaven is the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, its triple-eaved roof canopy of glazed blue tiles reflecting its…

  • Round altar, Temple of Heaven, Beijing

    Round Altar

    Temple of Heaven Park & Dongcheng South

    The present build dating to around 1540, this is the business end of the Temple of Heaven. Here on this open-air, raised platform (a circle within a…

  • City diorama inside Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall (Beijing Shi Guihua Zhanlanguan)..

    Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall

    Temple of Heaven Park & Dongcheng South

    Presenting a top-down perspective on the world's most micromanaged megacity, dry exhibits detail the government's grand schemes for Beijing, with scant…

  • Inside the Imperial Vault of Heaven at the Temple of Heaven Park.

    Imperial Vault of Heaven

    Temple of Heaven Park & Dongcheng South

    Inside the Echo Wall, this ornate building was merely a storeroom, used to keep the spirit tablets of the gods and other materials used for the ceremonies…

  • Divine Music Administration

    Divine Music Administration

    Temple of Heaven Park & Dongcheng South

    Music, song and dance were integral components of the arcane rituals performed by the Emperor at the Temple of Heaven, and here is where the ranks of…

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