Temple of Earth

The emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties worshipped the past emperors and the Heaven in the Temple of Earth. 

The Temple of Earth, also known as the Fang Ze Altar, is the second largest of the five altars in Beijing, built in the ninth year of Ming Jiajing and rebuilt repeatedly in the Qing Dynasty. After being renovated in the thirteen year of the Jiaqing period, it was renamed the Temple of Earth. 

Like the Temple of Heaven, the Temple of Earth is divided into an inner altar and an outer altar. The altar also has a divine kitchen, a divine treasury, a slaughtering pavilion, a bell tower, and a palace. 

It is worth mentioning that the number of stones paved on the altar surface of the Temple of Earth is an even number, and the ancients used the even number as the yin number, and there was a saying that "the sky is the yang and the earth is the yin". The center of the upper altar is paved with 36 square stones, arranged in six vertical and horizontal positions. Around the center stone, 8 circles are made outward, the outermost circle has 92 pieces of stones, and the innermost circle has 36 pieces of stones, so that the upper altar surface has a total of 512 stones, plus 36 center stones for a total of 548 pieces.

The emperor's worship is on the summer solstice every year. In order to show his devotion to the gods, he begins to fast three days before the sacrifice, the first two days in the Forbidden City, and the third day to live at the altar. Later it was changed to the routine that the emperor fast in the palace for three days, and then directly went to the altar to perform the worship ceremony.  

In 1925, the first stadium in Beijing was completed with some sports equipment, named Jingzhao Park. In 1928, Jingzhao Park was renamed Citizen Park, but due to financial difficulties and wanton destruction by the garrison, the park was gradually abandoned. After the liberation of Beijing, the government renovated the abandoned garden into a park in April 1957.

Address: Ditan Park, Andingmen Outer Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing

Temple of Sun

The Temple of Sun was built in the ninth year of Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty and was the place where the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties worshipped the Sun.

The ancient time of worship of the sun was the annual spring equinox. The Temple of the Sun is a circular building with a diameter of 10 zhang. There is a square platform in the middle, called the Worship Platform, which is 16 meters long and 1.89 meters high, and is covered with red glazed bricks, symbolizing the sun, and was changed to square bricks when it was rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty. The altar site is relatively intact. After liberation, the government invested in the renovation of the Temple of the Sun, and it is now a secluded park. 

The main landscapes of the Temple of the Sun include the garden altar, the West Heaven Gate, the North Heaven Gate, the Shenku Divine Kitchen, the Slaughtering Pavilion, the Jufu Hall, the Mural Painting, the Southwest Scenic Area, Yuxin Garden, Peony Garden, "Qinghui Guanri" in the southeast of the park and "Quchi Shengchun" on the south side.

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

Translator: BAO Minmin

Reviewer: WANG Yiwen