As the ancient capital of the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, Beijing boasts numerous royal buildings, including the famous Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Yuanmingyuan Ruins, Temple of Heaven, and others. Additionally, there are three major imperial temples - the Imperial Ancestral Temple adjacent to the Forbidden City, the Beijing Confucius Temple next to the Altar of Earth. Many people have visited them. But have you been to the remaining one?

The remaining imperial temple is the Temple of Chinese Emperors, located on Fuchengmennei Daijie(St) in Xicheng, not far from the popular internet-famous spot, the Miaoying Temple. The Temple of Chinese Emperors of the Dynasty was where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties performed ancestral worship. In ancient times, it held a status equivalent to the Imperial Ancestral Temple and the Beijing Confucius Temple.

The Temple of Chinese Emperors was built during the Jiajing period, slightly later than the Forbidden City, and has a history of nearly 500 years. It has been used for the worship of 188 emperors. Additionally, it honors 79 wise ministers and famous generals, including many well-known figures such as Yi Yin, Zhuge Liang, Fang Xuanling, Fan Zhongyan, Yue Fei, and Han Shizhong. 

The main building in the temple is called the Jingde Chongsheng Hall, a grand palace-style architecture symbolizing "admiring virtue and venerating sages." The hall stands at 21 meters tall, imposing in its grandeur, with a width of nine bays and a depth of five bays, following the ancient ceremonial specifications of the "Nine-Five Honored Ones" for emperors. In the center of the hall, tablets are dedicated to Fuxi, the Yellow Emperor, and the Yan Emperor, while the tablets of the remaining 185 emperors are placed on the left and right sides.

What's particularly rare about the Jingde Chongsheng Hall and the main components of the Jingde Gate, as well as the east and west auxiliary halls in the temple, is that they are original Ming Dynasty remnants. Only elements like murals and glazed tiles are from the Qing Dynasty. This is quite unusual even in Beijing, where ancient buildings are abundant, because most of Beijing's ancient buildings primarily consist of Qing Dynasty components.

In the warm sunshine of early spring, the Temple of Temple of Chinese Emperors appears remarkably serene. There aren't many visitors here; just a few wander around in twos and threes. If you want to learn about Chinese history and ancient architecture from the Ming and Qing dynasties, this is a great place to visit!

Translator: NIU Lihua

Reviewer: BAI Jing