
Located
in the Chongwen District in the southern part of Beijing, the
Temple of Heaven covers about 273 hectares and is one of the biggest
public parks in Beijing. It lines appear on countless pieces of
tourist literature including postcards, souvenirs and traveling
books etc., and it has be
come
to the symbol of Beijing. Built in 1420, the Temple of
Heaven
functioned as a vast stage for solemn rites performed by the Son
of Heaven who came here to worship heaven and pray for good harvests.
In addition, the emperors also worshipped their ancestors and
other natural phenomena such as the Cloud God, Rain God and Wind
God. Based on traditional belief that the sky was round and the
earth was square, the unique architectural buildings include Round
Altar, Echo Wall and Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests etc. will
delight you with its shape, color and sound. It should not be
forgotten that it is also a park with people playing Taiji and
practi
cing
Beijing opera in the morning.