Beijing has four temples named after heaven, earth, sun and moon. They are a part of the history of the imperial sacrifices made during ancient times Beijing. They are located around the Forbidden City, the Temple of Sun in the east, the Temple of the moon in west, the Temple of Earth in north and the Temple of Heaven in south.

The Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven was initially built in the eighteenth year of the Ming Dynasty (in 1420). Situated in the southern part of the city, it covers an area of 273 hectares. It is a place where Emperors from both the Ming and Qing Dynasties' traveled to worship and to pray for good harvest. The northern part of the Temple is round in contrast to the southern part, which is square, implying that "the sky is round and the earth is square" to symbolize both heaven and earth. There are a lot of prominent places in this park such as the Circular Mound Altar, the Imperial Vault of Heaven, the Long Corridor, the Echo Wall, the Seven-Star Stone and many other areas of historic interest and panoramic beauties to admire.

Admission：15RMB

Address：No.1,Tiantan Road,Dongcheng District .

Transportation:7,17,20,35,36,69,71,105,106,110,120,692,707,729 to Tianqiao Station

The Temple of Earth

The Temple of Earth is an elegant royal temple. It is also the place where royal families used to offer sacrifices. It happens to be the largest temple where people make sacrifices to the God of Earth.

The Temple of Earth is known to many as the Fangze Temple, and was built in 1530. There were reportedly 14 emperors who offered sacrifices to the God of Earth for 381 years until the Qing Dynasty was overthrown. In 1925, the Temple of Earth was open to the public as a park. It has and always will be regarded as an important fixture of Chinese history.

Address: Andingmen Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing

Ticket: RMB 2 per person. RMB 6 per month. RMB 10 for the Temple Fair

Transportation: Tourists can take Bus No. 104, 108, 11, 27, 13, 62, 18, 328, 358 407, 116

The Temple of Sun

Ritan Park, also known as the Temple of Sun Park, is a national tourist attraction and a historic site under national protection. It is located on Ritan North Road, in the Chaoyang District, about 10 kilometers from the center of the city. It is a spot of cultural interest classified under classical gardens. Ritan, or the Temple of Sun, was built in 1530, or the 9th year of Emperor Jiajing’s reign in the Ming Dynasty. Before the People’s Republic was founded, many pieces of ancient architecture had been vandalized or stolen. In 1951, the government of Beijing decided to turn it into a park. In 1956, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Parks requisitioned the surrounding lands and expanded the park to 206.2 km², and opened it to the public.

Admission：free

Address：No.6, Ritan North Road, Chaoyang District

Open： 06:00 - 21:00 (winter), 06:00-22:00 (summer)

Transportation: Bus 1,4, 57, 729.

The Temple of Moon

The Temple of Moon is located west of the Nan Li Shi Lu, Xicheng District. It was built in 1530 as a place for the emperors to worship the god of the moon and other stars. It is divided into two parts, the South park and the North park, with a total area of 8.12 hectares. The North park is mainly occupied by old architectural facades, while the South park is mainly taken up by ponds, rocks, and man made hills. There are a number of trees in Yuetan Park, such as pines, cypresses, phoenix trees, pomegranate trees and osmanthus trees. It worth admiring the scenes of nature as your explore this historic area.

Admission：1RMB

Address：No.6,Yuetan North Street, Xicheng District

Open：6:00-21:00Transportation:Take bus 13,15,19,21,42,45,65,special 4,823 to Yuetan stop