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
Beijing, alternatively romanized as Peking, is the capital of China. With more than 22 million residents, Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city as well as China's second largest city after Shanghai. It is located in Northern China, and is governed as a municipality under the direct administration of the State Council with 16 urban, suburban, and rural districts. Beijing is mostly surrounded by Hebei Province with the exception of neighboring Tianjin to the southeast; together, the three divisions form the Jingjinji megalopolis and the national capital region of China.
Image: Skyline of Beijing CBD from the southeast (20210907094201)
Image: 20200110 Hall of Supreme Harmony courtyard 1
Image: 11 Temple of Heaven
Image: 2014.08.19.110005 Great Wall Badaling