Courtyard at the Temple of Heaven, Beijing
The Temple of Heaven, literally the Altar of Heaven is a medieval complex of religious buildings situated in the southeastern part of central Beijing. The complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest. It has been regarded as a Daoist temple, although Chinese heaven worship, especially by the reigning monarch of the day, predates Daoism. The temple complex was constructed from 1406 to 1420 during the reign of the Yongle Emperor, who was also responsible for the construction of the Forbidden City in Beijing. The complex was extended and renamed Temple of Heaven during the reign of the Jiajing Emperor in the 16th century. Jiajing also built three other prominent temples in Beijing, the Temple of Sun in the east, the Temple of Earth in the north, and the Temple of Moon in the west. The Temple of Heaven was renovated in the 18th century under the Qianlong Emperor.
Size: 3637px × 2365px
Location: Beijing, China
Photo credit: © GRV Travel Photography / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: architecture, attraction, beijing, chinese, complex, courtyard, daoist, dynasty, heaven, heritage, medeival, ming, qing, religious, site, sunset, temple, tourist, unesco, world
