Ritan Park can also be called Sun Altar Park, located southeast of Chaoyangmen. It originally served as a place to worship the God of Great Light----sun and was expanded and converted into a park after the foundation of the New China. And this park’s history can date back to the Ming dynasty.

This Sun Altar began to be built in 1530 during the Ming dynasty. The west of the altar has been made into a layer of square platform, and the surface of the altar was covered with red verulia during the Ming dynasty, which symbolizes the sun, and was changed to square bricks when it came to the Qing dynasty. Surrounding the altar are short walls. The hall inside the Sun Altar Park was constructed in Feb. 1626, and the hall at the northwest corner was reconstructed in 1724.

After the foundation of the People’s Republic of China, this sun altar was converted into a park, in which many different views can be found: Youyuan Altar (有园坛), Xitian Gate (西天门), Tuzai Pavilion (宰牲亭), Jufu Hall (具服殿), Peony Garden (牡丹园) and so on.

Admission: Free

Getting there: Take Bus No. 1, 4, 729 to Ritan Road and walk 400 meters north; take Bus No. 44, 800, 750 to Yabao Road (雅宝路) and walk 300 meters east; Take Bus No. 112 or 846 to Shenlu Street (神路街) and walk 200 meters south; or take Bus No. 43, 110, 28 to Fangcaodi (芳草地) and walk 200 meters west.