The Temple of Heaven

Birdseye View of The Temple of Heaven

About 2 km southeast of the Forbidden City towers Tian Tan, or the Temple of Heaven, where dynastic rulers of China worshipped heaven. The temple and its subsidiary buildings and surrounding gardens covers an area five times the size of the Forbidden City. The main buildings lie on a central axis. From top to bottom lies the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, the Imperial Vault of Heaven and the Circular Mound Altar.