The Temple of Heaven Park is a vast green space in the heart of Beijing with the not-so-green Temple of Heaven, including its Circular Mound Altar structure as its centerpiece. By no means is the Temple the only structure though and the buildings and surrounds are as vast as the park that they are set in.
The Temple of Heaven itself, originally built in 1420, was a place where the emperors of China worshiped. The vast compound measures a whopping 2.73 square kilometers and the outer wall is built as a semi-circle in the north while the southern wall is square and is itself surrounded by annular walls. We head off to explore the various ancient architectural complexes that make up the park.
Circular Mound Altar
Through the jade cloud gates and the Circular Mound rises before me. It was constructed in 1530 (in the 9th year of Emperor Jiajing’s reign, Ming Dynasty), where the altar served as a place to worship Heaven, a ceremony held at the winter solstice every year. The round terrace (mound) was originally covered with deep blue glazed slabs and later, light green stone slabs, surrounded by a white marble balustrade. It was enlarged in 1749 (the 14th year of Emperor Qianlong’s reign of the Qing Dynasty).
The winter solstice strikes a chord with me and I feel a shiver despite the heat. This feels eerily similar to Stonehenge and some of the more remote pagan sites in England and Scotland. I’m glad for the crowd as it would be decidedly creepy here with no one around.
Today, however, the company is plentiful and I take my time exploring the structure which is made up of flights of steps, tiers and balustrades, each numbering nine (or multiples of nine), symbolizing the nine layers of heaven and designed to emphasizing heaven’s “supreme importance.”
Good To Know
The Temple of Heaven Park is a large complex just to the south of central Beijing. You need time to explore all that the park has to offer. Wear comfortable shoes, carry some water with you and dress for the weather – it is extremely hot in summer and extremely cold in the winter months.
To explore other areas of the park, follow these links:
Would I Return?
Yes. There is much to explore here and the park and temples are too vast to be able to take it all in in one visit.
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