The Temple of the Earth in Beijing, China, is located in the northern part of central Beijing, around the Andingmen area and just outside Beijing's second ring road. It is also located just a few hundred yards north of Yonghe Temple. At 42.7 hectares, it is the second largest of the five Temples of Beijing behind only the Temple of Heaven.
Stairway to the Altar at the Temple of Earth
The "Star Gates" marking the boundary of the altar
A "Star Gate" leading to a hall in the temple complex
Satellite image of the park of Temple of Earth. (1967-09-20)
The Temple of Heaven is a complex of imperial 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 a good harvest. The Temple of Heaven was inscribed as a World Heritage site in 1998 and was described as "a masterpiece of architecture and landscape design which simply and graphically illustrates a cosmogony of great importance for the evolution of one of the world's great civilizations..." as the "symbolic layout and design of the Temple of Heaven had a profound influence on architecture and planning in the Far East over many centuries."
Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the largest building in the Temple of Heaven
Temple of Heaven on an 1898 postcard
Panorama with the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests in the center, viewed from the south
Panorama from the opposite view of the Imperial Vault of Heaven
