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Guide to Visiting Temple of Heaven, Beijing

Guide to Visiting Temple of Heaven, Beijing

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Temple of Heaven (Tiāntán 天坛) is Beijing’s largest and most popular temple. It is one of the top things you must do when visiting Beijing.

Temple of Heaven was used by emperors from Ming and Qing dynasties to worship God of Heaven and to offer sacrifices with the hope of bumper harvests.

Temple of Heaven has an inner part and outer part, divided by a wall. The inner part contains most of the structures, such as Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, Imperial Vault of Heaven, Circular Mound Altar and Abstinence Palace. Meanwhile, the outer part contains the Divine Music Administration where musicians and dancers rehearsed for ceremonies during Ming and Qing dynasties.

Within Temple of Heaven complex, there are a total of 92 ancient buildings with 600 rooms. It is the most comprehensive imperial sacrificial building complex in China that still exists today, and the world’s largest building complex for offering sacrifice to heaven that’s still standing up to this day.

In this article, I will share important travel information and tips you need to know before visiting Temple of Heaven, based on my own experience visiting the temple recently.

Temple of Heaven Opening Hours

Temple of Heaven is open daily, all-year round. However, THE attractions are open from Tuesday to Sunday (closed on Monday, except Public Holidays).

High Season (1 Apr – 31 Oct)Low Season (1 Nov – 31 Mar)
Gate Open: 6amGate Open: 6.30am
Gate Last entry: 9pmGate Last entry: 9pm
Gate Close: 10pmGate Close: 10pm
Main attractions operating hours: 8am – 5.30pmMain attractions operating hours: 8am – 4.30pm
Audio guide: 8.15am – 5pmAudio guide: 8.15am – 5pm

Temple of Heaven Entrance Fee

High Season (1 Apr – 31 Oct)Low Season (1 Nov – 31 Mar)
Admission ticket: RMB 15Admission ticket: RMB 10
Through ticket (Entrance + Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, Circular Mound Altar & Echo Wall): RMB 34 Through ticket (Entrance + Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, Circular Mound Altar & Echo Wall): RMB 28
Divine Music Administration: RMB 10Divine Music Administration: RMB 10
Audio guide (Chinese): RMB 20 + RM 50 refundable depositAudio guide (Chinese): RMB 20 + RMB 50 refundable deposit
Audio guide (Foreign): RMB 40 + RM 50 refundable depositAudio guide (Foreign): RMB 40 + RMB 50 refundable deposit

Note: Remember to bring your passport! You’ll need it to buy tickets!

During our visit, we purchased the ticket directly from the counter and paid with cash. There was a line, but it wasn’t that long, we waited for maybe about 15 minutes. Your experience may vary. If you’re worried about the long line at ticket counter, you can purchase online ticket in advance.

Temple of Heaven Tickets and Opening Hours
Temple of Heaven Tickets and Opening Hours

Getting to Temple of Heaven

Temple of Heaven Ticket Counter
Temple of Heaven Ticket Counter

Temple of Heaven has 4 gates: North, East, South, West. All gates have ticket counter, so it doesn’t matter which gate you enter from. Personally, I prefer to enter from East Gate because of 2 reasons.

First, there’s a subway station right at East gate, and it’s called Tiantandongmen (Line 5). Second, the East gate is just a short walk to the main building which is the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest.

For your reference, below are all the possible ways to get to each gate of Temple of Heaven.

East Gate:

  • Take Metro Line 5, get off at Tiantandongmen Station, and exit Exit A.
  • Take Bus No. 6, No. 34, No. 35, No. 36, No. 39, No. 41, No. 43, No. 60, No. 72, No. 116, No. 128, No. 599 and get off at Fahua Temple Station;
  • Take Bus No. 54 , 957, 958 and get off at Tiantan Stadium Station.

South Gate:

  • Take bus no. 36, No. 53, No. 62, No. 122, No. 525, No. 958, No. 141, No. 200 Inner Ring, No. 200 Outer Ring, and get off at the South Gate of the Temple of Heaven.

West Gate:

  • Take Metro Line 8, get off at Tianqiao Station, and exit Exit C.
  • Take Bus No. 2, No. 20, No. 36, No. 53, No. 71, No. 72, No. 90, No. 93, No. 120, No. 622, BRT No. 1 or No. 141, and get off at the West Gate of the Temple of Heaven.

North Gate:

  • Take Bus No. 6, No. 34, No. 35, No. 36, No. 72, No. 106, No. 110 and get off at the North Gate of the Temple of Heaven.

Temple of Heaven Brief History

The original Altar of Heaven and Earth was built in 1420 during Emperor Yongle’s reign. The main building was Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, which was initially used for sacrificial ceremonies to worship both Heaven and Earth.

In 1530, Emperor Jiajing decided that the worship for Heaven should be separated from Earth. Therefore, he built another Altar to the south, now named Circular Mound Altar, to worship Heaven. Thereafter, in 1534, the Altar of Heaven and Earth was renamed the Temple of Heaven.

During Emperor Qianlong’s reign, the Temple of Heaven complex was reconstructed and renovated at a large scale around 1749.

In 1998, Temple of Heaven was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Temple of Heaven is regarded as a masterpiece of ancient Chinese culture, a one-of-a-kind Altar to worship the Heaven.

Temple of Heaven History
Temple of Heaven History

Temple of Heaven Map

Temple of Heaven Map - small
Temple of Heaven Map (click to enlarge)

Suggested Itinerary & Route

Before visiting Temple of Heaven, I would recommend that you plan your itinerary in advance, so that you don’t miss out the important landmarks.

Everyone has different availability and preference, some only has 2 hours for Temple of Heaven, while others have a full day. So, I have worked out 3 possible itineraries & routes that you can consider.

If you can’t decide how many hours to spend at Temple of Heaven, I think it’s totally worth it to designate an entire day for Temple of Heaven, because the Temple has a rich history and there are plenty of interesting and beautiful spots within the temple compound.

Essentials-Only Itinerary (2 hours)

  • Start at North or East Gate
  • Visit Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest
  • Walk along Danbi Bridge towards the south
  • Visit Imperial Vault of Heaven, Echo Wall, Circular Mound Altar
  • Exit at South Gate
Temple of Heaven - Short Itinerary
Temple of Heaven – Short Itinerary

Half Day Itinerary (3-4 hours)

  • Start at North or East Gate
  • Visit Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest
  • Walk along Danbi Bridge towards the south
  • Visit Imperial Vault of Heaven, Echo Wall, Circular Mound Altar
  • Walk towards the west
  • Visit Fasting Palace, Divine Music Administration
  • Exit at West Gate
Temple of Heaven - Half Day Itinerary
Temple of Heaven – Half Day Itinerary

Full Day Itinerary (5-6 hours)

  • Start at East Gate
  • Visit Long Corridor, Divine Kitchen, Animal Sacrifice Pavilion and Seven-Star Stones
  • Visit Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest and explore the indoor exhibitions
  • Walk along Danbi Bridge towards the south
  • Visit Imperial Vault of Heaven, Echo Wall, Circular Mound Altar
  • Have lunch at one of the 2 restaurants in Temple of Heaven (read “What to Eat at Temple of Heaven” further in this article)
  • Visit Fasting Palace, Divine Music Administration
  • Stroll along Hundred Flower Garden and Rose Garden
  • Visit the Double Ring Longevity Pavilion
  • Exit at West Gate
Temple of Heaven - Full Day Itinerary
Temple of Heaven – Full Day Itinerary

Renting Audio Guide

If you are visiting Temple of Heaven on your own, without joining a tour, but you want to learn history of the temple, you can rent an audio guide. We rented one ourselves, so I can share my experience with you.

The audio guide counters are available at all 4 gates: North Gate, East Gate, South Gate and West Gate. The cost of audio guide rental for foreign language is RMB 40, however you need to pay additional RMB 50 deposit which is refundable when you return audio guide at the end of the day.

Temple of Heaven - Audio Guide Counter
Audio Guide Counter

There are plenty of foreign language available, such as English, French, Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese, Italian, Indonesian, Thai, Vietnam, Japan, Korea, Arab, Czech.

Temple of Heaven - Audio Guide Price and Languages
Audio Guide Price and Languages

During our rental, we encountered a problem with our audio guide (the sound stopped playing), so we called the hotline number at the back of the device. We were pleasantly surprised when they said they’d come to our place to meet us and exchange a new one for us. And he did arrive in about 10 minutes! I think it’ll be useful if you have a local SIM card when you’re in China.

One important thing you must remember to do is this: you must return your audio guide before the counter closes to collect your deposit back! We almost didn’t get our deposit back because we didn’t know the counter closes so early.

Temple of Heaven - Audio Guide Device
Audio Guide Device

The temple compound is open until 10pm, we thought the audio guide counter is also open until 10pm, but it’s not. The counter is officially open until 5pm only. We returned the audio guide at 6pm and the counter was in the midst of closing! Thankfully we got lucky and managed to get our deposit back!

What to Do and See at Temple of Heaven

1. Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest

Temple of Heaven - Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest
Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest

Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest is the main building at Temple of Heaven. If you only have time to visit one landmark in Temple of Heaven, this is where you should visit. The nearest gates from Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest are the North Gate and the East Gate.

Temple of Heaven - Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest
Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest

To enter Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, you need a through ticket, which can be purchased from the ticketing counter at the 4 gates of Temple of Heaven. A general admission ticket doesn’t entitle admission to this Hall.

Temple of Heaven - Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest
View from Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest

Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest is a circular wooden structure with 3 levels of roof. There are a total of 28 columns: 4 inner pillars symbolize 4 seasons, the middle 12 pillars symbolize 12 months, and the outer 12 pillars symbolize 12 nos of 2 hours in a day.

Temple of Heaven - Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest
Inside Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest
Temple of Heaven - Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest
Inside Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest

In its early years, Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest was used for sacrificial ceremonies to worship Heaven and Earth. A century later, Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest was used only to worship Earth, as the Heaven worship ceremony moved to Circular Mound Altar.

At the back of Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest is the Imperial Hall of Heaven.

Temple of Heaven - Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest
Imperial Hall of Heaven

There are 2 exhibition galleries at the two buildings located at southeast and southwest of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, where you can see miniature models of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, as well as learn the history of the temple. Do not skip this!

Temple of Heaven - Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest Exhibition
Exhibition of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest
Temple of Heaven - Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest Exhibition
Exhibition of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest
Temple of Heaven - Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest Exhibition
Exhibition of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest

At the east of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest stood the Long Corridor, the North Divine Kitchen and North Animal-Sacrifice Pavilion. Offerings were prepared here before sacrificial ceremonies began.

Temple of Heaven - Animal Sacrifice Pavilion
Animal Sacrifice Pavilion
Temple of Heaven - Long Corridor
Long Corridor

2. Danbi Bridge

Danbi Bridge is an elevated bridge that connect Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest at its north and the Circular Mound Altar at its south. Danbi Bridge is the oldest overpass in the ancient capital of Beijing.

Danbi Bridge is 360m long, 4m high and 30m wide. The road is brick-paved and unsheltered; an umbrella might come in handy during summer.

Temple of Heaven - Danbi Bridge
Danbi Bridge near Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests
Temple of Heaven - Danbi Bridge
The middle of Danbi Bridge
Temple of Heaven - Danbi Bridge Chengzhen Gate
Chengzhen Gate at the end of Danbi Bridge

3. Imperial Vault of Heaven

Imperial Vault of Heaven is a circular structure that looks like a mini version of Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, given its color and the shape of the roof.

Located at the south of Danbi Bridge, the Imperial Vault of Heaven is surrounded by the Echo Wall. It was used to keep the Heavenly Great Tablet, as well as many imperial ancestral tablets.

During my visit, Imperial Vault of Heaven was renovated (sadly).

Temple of Heaven - Imperial Vault of Heaven
Imperial Vault of Heaven

4. The Echo Wall

The Echo Wall is a circular wall surrounding Celestial Warehouse. The wall has an excellent transmission capability. If two people stand by the wall behind East Annex Hall and West Annex Wall respectively, and they speak while facing the north, they can hear each other clearly.

Temple of Heaven - Echo Wall
Echo Wall
Temple of Heaven - Echo Wall
Echo Wall

5. The Circular Mound Altar

As the name suggests, the Circular Mound Altar is a circular elevated terrace that was used to worship the Heaven. Built in 1530 by Emperor Jiajing of Ming dynasty, the altar is made of white marble and is enclosed by two walls; the inner circular wall symbolizes heaven while the outer square wall symbolizes the earth.

Temple of Heaven - Circular Mound Altar
Circular Mound Altar
Temple of Heaven - Circular Mound Altar
Circular Mound Altar
Temple of Heaven - Circular Mound Altar
Circular Mound Altar

The Circular Mound Altar is divided into three levels. At the uppermost terrace, the center of the altar is a round stone slab called the Heavenly Center Stone, where the emperor would pray for good weather and bountiful harvests. If one speaks while standing on the Heavenly Centre Stone, his voice will be particularly resonant and sonorous.

At the uppermost terrace, the floor is made up stone slabs arranged in 9 circles/rings. The innermost circle has 9 pieces of stones, the second ring has 18 pieces of slab, and so on until the ninth circle that has 81 pieces of slab. The fascination with number 9 stems from Chinese belief that 9 is the highest single-digit number.

Temple of Heaven - Circular Mound Altar
Circular Mound Altar
Temple of Heaven - Circular Mound Altar
Circular Mound Altar

At the east of the Circular Mound Altar stood the South Divine Kitchen and South Animal-Sacrifice Pavilion. Offerings were prepared here before sacrificial ceremonies began.

6. The Fasting Palace / Hall of Abstinence

The Fasting Palace is also referred as Hall of Abstinence. The emperor would spend three days in the Fasting Palace abstaining from food, alcohol, and entertainment, in preparation for the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven.

The Fasting Palace has 3 gates: North, South and East. The main gate is the East Gate.

Temple of Heaven - Fasting Palace
Fasting Palace – East Gate
Temple of Heaven - Fasting Palace
Fasting Palace – East Gate
Temple of Heaven - Fasting Palace
Fasting Palace – East Gate
Temple of Heaven - Fasting Palace
Fasting Palace

Upon entering East Gate, the first building you will see is the Beamless Hall, which is the main hall at the Palace. The Beamless Hall has no beams; it was used for ceremonial rituals in the past, but now it serves as exhibition galleries. During our visit, the hall was under renovation, unfortunately.

Temple of Heaven - Fasting Palace - Beamless Hall
Fasting Palace – Beamless Hall
Temple of Heaven - Fasting Palace - Beamless Hall
Fasting Palace – Beamless Hall

From East Gate, if you turn right, you will see the Belfry (or Bell Tower). The bronze bell in the Belfry was used to announce the arrival and departure of the Emperor each time.

Temple of Heaven - Fasting Palace
Fasting Palace – Bell Tower

Behind the Beamless Hall is the Living Hall (also known as Bedroom Hall). This is the place where the emperor spent most of his time to practice abstinence before he held the sacrificial ceremonies. The hall has several rooms which serve different purposes, such as as reception room, bedroom, living room, and study room.

Temple of Heaven - Fasting Palace Living Hall
Fasting Palace – Living Hall
Temple of Heaven - Fasting Palace
Fasting Palace – Palace Water Vat

At both sides of the Living Hall are two Guard Rooms. At the back of the Living Hall is the Room of Prince.

Temple of Heaven - Fasting Palace - Guardroom
Fasting Palace – Guardroom
Temple of Heaven - Fasting Palace
Fasting Palace
Temple of Heaven - Fasting Palace
Fasting Palace

7. Seven-Star Stones

The seven-star stones symbolize the seven peaks of Mount Tai, a famous sacred mountain in China. These stones were engraved with motifs of mountains, and were placed at Temple of Heaven during Emperor Jiajing’s region.

These stones are located to the south of the North Animal-sacrifice pavilion, near East Gate. Because of its short height, it can be easily missed out, so keep a lookout at the ground!

Temple of Heaven - Seven Star Stones
Seven Star Stones

8. Baihua Garden & Rose Garden

Baihua Garden and Rose Garden are open-field gardens filled with flowers, benches and pavilions. It’s a great place to wind down after spending a long day at Temple of Heaven.

Temple of Heaven - Baihua Garden
Baihua Garden

9. Double Ring Longevity Pavilion

Double Ring Longevity Pavilion is one of the lesser-visited places in Temple of Heaven, but I highly recommend that you do not skip it because it is a beautiful spot. When you are here, it feels like you’re in the middle of a Chinese garden!

Temple of Heaven - Double Ring Longevity Pavilion
Temple of Heaven - Double Ring Longevity Pavilion
Double Ring Longevity Pavilion
Temple of Heaven - Double Ring Longevity Pavilion

10. Divine Music Administration

Located near West Gate, Divine Music Administration was the most prestigious ritual music academy during imperial China responsible for training and managing ritual music and dance performers, as well as keeping ceremonial musical instruments.

Divine Music Administration is now a museum displaying musical instruments, ceremonial costumes, portraits and sculptures of famous ancient Chinese musicians.

Unfortunately, I missed out this building when visiting Temple of Heaven, sigh! Hence, no photos!

11. Take a stroll along the paths in Temple of Heaven

Lastly, take a stroll along the idyllic walking paths in Temple of Heaven and enjoy the present moment. It’s so much different from the hustle and bustle of a big city that Beijing is.

Temple of Heaven - Streets
Temple of Heaven - Take a stroll
Temple of Heaven - Squirrel

What to Eat at Temple of Heaven

1. Tiantanweidao (Taste of Temple of Heaven)

Located near Echo Wall and Circular Mound Altar, Tiantanweidao is one of the 2 restaurants located inside Temple of Heaven.

Temple of Heaven Tiantanweidao
Tiantanweidao

It is a small café selling noodle dishes and rice dishes, as well as beverages and the iconic Temple of Heaven ice cream. We had the signature potato roast beef rice (RMB39), and a 550ml bottle of mineral water (RMB5).

Temple of Heaven Tiantanweidao
Tiantanweidao – Menu
Temple of Heaven Tiantanweidao
Beef potato rice

2. Minyuan Restaurant (Tiantanfuyan / Temple of Heaven Fortune Banquet)

Located near west gate, Minyuan Restaurant is a proper restaurant with both indoor and al-fresco seating. They sell breakfast, main course, dessert and cakes.

Temple of Heaven - Where to eat - Minyuan Restaurant
Minyuan Restaurant

Other Information

There are plenty of vending machines scattered throughout Temple of Heaven and they accept mobile payments, such as WeChatPay and AliPay.

Final Thoughts

Phew! Over 3,000 words!! I didn’t plan to write such a long article! I hope my long article inspires you to spend a whole day exploring Temple of Heaven slowly, because this temple sure has plenty of gems for you to uncover.

Any comment, tips or feedback is welcomed in the comment section below!

If you like my work, you can buy me a coffee! Your support will help me to keep going!

Please share this article if you think it's awesome!

Ronald

Friday 13th of October 2023

Hi Eva! Do you if now it's necessary to make reservations in advance to visit Temple of Heaven? Or it's still possible to just buy the tickets at one of the entrances? Thank you!

Eva

Saturday 14th of October 2023

Hi Ronald, during my visit, it wasn't necessary to book in advance, we just paid at the entrance. I'm not sure if things have changed now that China started seeing more visitors.