Beijing has been a capital city for more than 1,000 years. Purposefully placed imperial structures including temples and sacrificial altars dot the urban landscape. There were, in the day, nine Beijing imperial altars. Today, not all remain or are open to visitors.
Temple of Heaven (Tiantan)
The most famous of these altars is the Temple of Heaven and Altar of Heaven or Tiantan. The temple is an iconic structure, unlike most Chinese architecture, being a lovely round building. This shape represents heaven; the square representing Earth. Abstracted versions of the building are used by many Beijing businesses and organizations. I’ve been to this lovely park a few times now. I see so much symbolism and beauty. This is the best preserved of the Beijing imperial altars with the surrounding park also showcasing auxiliary buildings like the Fasting Palace.
Temple of Earth (Ditan)
The square-shaped Temple of Altar of Earth, Ditan, sits opposite the Temple of Heaven, both its position in the city and symbolically. The altar itself is very similar to the Altar of Heaven. It is multi-tiered and was site of ancient sacrificial ceremonies. More fascinating is literally seeing the layers of history at this and other historic places in Beijing. Over time, Cities naturally rise in level due to dust and debris of civilization. This is why as you dig down you can find strata of history. Ditan is an example of this. You will see it at the imperial stables and the altar itself.
Something else I noticed as I visited a couple of these imperial altars was the difference of architecture in a few of the buildings, most likely signifying a difference in age of the building. During the dynasties that ruled from Beijing, imperial properties were rebuilt and expanded over and over again. So, some of the buildings are not from the original construction period. They were added much later. Thus, there is a difference in architecture. This got me very excited to see a more ancient style of building technique in some of the temple buildings. I noticed it at the imperial stables of Ditan and the fasting and preparation buildings of Ritan.
The park this altar sits in is also hosts the biggest temple fair in Beijing during Spring Festival or Chinese New Year. It is a lovely park worth a stroll even after you’ve visited for the altar. This is the case for most of these sights.
Altar of the Sun (Ritan)
Another great park, the Altar of the Sun is tucked away in the Foreign Legation District. This altar isn’t open to visitors, but is visible through the fence. None of the other temple buildings are open either, but you can still see them from the outside. The park has lovely gardens and water featured and a grand mural to commemorate the ancient purpose of the altar.
Altar of the Moon (Yueyutan)
The Altar of the Sun sits on the east side of the city. The Altar of the Moon lies opposite on the west side. Unfortunately, this historic site isn’t as well preserved as the others. A radio tower was built on the altar itself decades ago. The park is small, but it is very nice. There is current restoration work happening on auxiliary buildings here. This foretells good things for this imperial altar. However, I don’t think the radio tower is going anywhere anytime soon.
Altar of Land and Grain
This is a very simple small altar in Zhongshan Park near the entrance of the Forbidden City, which I’ve written about before. Its purpose was to give gifts and sacrifices to the gods that would bless the country with good soil and grain harvests. In much more recent times, Sun Yat-sen’s body laid in state after his death in the hall directly north of the altar.
Other Altars
Xiannongtan, the Altar of Agriculture, is also wonderful, but it deserves its own post because it houses the Beijing Ancient Architecture Museum, which is fabulous. The site also includes two of the other ancient altars. The ninth altar, the Altar to the Goddess of Silkworms, is inaccessible to the public. Located along the shore of Zhonghai, south of Beihai and west of the Forbidden City. This lake’s shore is home to several top government officials making security a top priority.
Exploring these ancient altars has been a fascinating look into Beijing’s history. They provide context to this ancient capital and its more notable attractions. I love finding that Beijing has so many hidden treasures, and I want to explore them all!
