Beijing Ancient Observatory is located in the southwest side of Jianguomen crossroad at Dongcheng District, was initially built circa 1442, during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It is a special topic site museum of nature science displaying Chinese ancient astronomical equipment and astronomy. Now, it has been reformed to Beijing Ancient Astronomical Equipment Exhibition Hall, which belong to Beijing Astronomy Observatory and was official opened in 1956.

It is the historical records of the longest successive observation period amongst the current existing ancient observatories in the world. Moreover, it also shares high reputation in the world die to its integrated building and completed equipment. In Kangxi and Qianlong periods in Qing Dynasty, the astronomical observatory added eight large-sized astronomical observatory equipment made of cooper one after another. They all adopt the European measurement and equipment construction. Those astronomical equipment have large body, and beautiful sculpt, excellent engraving. Except for the Chinese tradition characterized aspects like sculpt, flower decoration and craftwork, etc, the other aspects like graduation, cursors and construction and etc also reflects the process and achievement of large-size astronomical equipment after the period of renaissance of the western Europe. It is the historical witness of oriental and western culture exchanges. They are not only the practical astronomy observation equipment but also the incomparable historic culture relic treasures.

The Temple of Heaven was the place where the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties would worship Heaven and pray for bumper crops. The northern part of the outer surrounding wall is semi-circular in shape while the southern part square, a pattern symbolic of the ancient belief that Heaven was round and the earth square. The double surrounding wall separates the temple into two parts—the inner and outer temples with the main structures in the inner one, covering a space of 273 hectares in all.

Telephone: 8610-65242202

Address: 2 Dongbiaobei Hutong, south-western corner of Jianguomen Bridge, Dongcheng District, Beijing

Metro: Line 1 and line 2 and get off in Jianguomen station

Opening time: 9:00-11:00, 13:00-17:00 (after 16:00 there is no entry). Closed on Monday and Tuesday