Temple of Heaven: Halls, Tickets and Route Planning
Walk the Temple of Heaven's ceremonial axis, pick between park and combo tickets and book as a foreign visitor.
Photo: apricot-tart / Unsplash
Contents
The Temple of Heaven is where the Ming and Qing emperors offered sacrifices to heaven and prayed for good harvests. It is far more than one famous hall: 273 hectares of gardens and historic pine woods in southern Beijing, with 92 ancient buildings.[1][2] Its layout is round in the north and square in the south, mirroring the old belief that heaven is round and earth is square.[1]
Walk the ceremonial axis
The main monuments line up from south to north. The open-air Circular Mound Altar lies at the south end, the Imperial Vault of Heaven with its conical roof sits just north of it, and a raised sacred way leads on to the three-tiered Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. The Hall of Abstinence, where the emperor fasted after the sacrifice, stands to the west. A double wall and a pine-treed enclosure surround the whole complex.[2]
Walk the axis in order, from south to north. Leave time for the pine-lined paths between the sites. The park is part of the experience.
Things to Do
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GetYourGuide partner offers. GoAsia may earn a commission if you book through these offers. Check whether tickets or transfers are included, and follow the attraction's official booking and admission rules.
Tickets
The park ticket and the monument tickets are separate, and a combo ticket covers both. The combo ticket includes the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Echo Wall and the Circular Mound Altar. In high season, the park ticket costs 15 CNY and the full-price combo ticket 34 CNY. Visitors who book with a passport or foreign permanent resident ID card pay 20 CNY for the standard admission ticket and 10 CNY for the concession ticket.[1]
| Ticket | Price (CNY) |
|---|---|
| Park admission, full price (high season) | 15[1] |
| Universal combo ticket, full price (high season) | 34[1] |
| Admission with passport or foreign permanent resident ID card (concession ticket: 10) | 20[1] |
Opening hours
The park is open from 6:00 to 22:00, with last entry at 21:00. The separately ticketed monuments open from 8:00 to 18:00, Tuesday to Sunday, with last entry at 17:30. They are closed on Mondays except on statutory holidays.[1] Plan the monuments for a Tuesday to Sunday.
Booking and arrival
Foreign visitors can book in advance on the WeChat Official Account "Temple of Heaven". At the gate, show the e-ticket QR code and the ID document used for the booking. For the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, Echo Wall and Circular Mound Altar, tickets can be booked 1 to 7 days ahead. If the park is not at capacity, you can also scan the QR code at the entrance on the day, or order at the Comprehensive Service Counters in the park. The park also sells tickets at its ticket office.[1]
The address is No. 1 Tiantan Road, Dongcheng District.[1]
A short history
The complex was built in 1420.[1] The Circular Mound Altar was added in 1530, and the complex took the name Temple of Heaven in 1534. By 1749, after rebuilding by the Qing emperors, it had reached its present form.[2] UNESCO inscribed it as a World Heritage Site in 1998.[1] UNESCO calls it the most complete imperial sacrificial complex in China and the world's largest complex for offering sacrifice to heaven.[2]
Sources and background
Numbers in the text such as [1] refer to these sources.
- [1] Beijing Municipal People's Government: Temple of Heaven visitor information: hours, ticket prices, booking, address and site description. Retrieved October 26, 2026.
- [2] UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Temple of Heaven: Outstanding Universal Value and site history. Retrieved October 22, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is the imperial sacrificial complex in southern Beijing where the Ming and Qing emperors offered sacrifices to heaven and prayed for good harvests. It covers 273 hectares of gardens and pine woods, and UNESCO inscribed it in 1998.
The Circular Mound Altar, the Imperial Vault of Heaven and the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, which line up from south to north along a raised sacred way. The Hall of Abstinence is to the west.
If you want to enter the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Echo Wall and the Circular Mound Altar, yes. The universal combo ticket costs 34 CNY at full price in high season, against 15 CNY for park admission alone.
The park is open from 6:00 to 22:00, with last entry at 21:00. The ticketed monuments are open from 8:00 to 18:00 Tuesday to Sunday, with last entry at 17:30, and closed on Mondays except on statutory holidays.
Book through the WeChat Official Account "Temple of Heaven" 1 to 7 days ahead, then show the e-ticket QR code and the ID document used for the booking at the gate.
Admission with a passport or foreign permanent resident ID card costs 20 CNY for the standard ticket and 10 CNY for the concession ticket.
Yes, if the park is not at capacity: scan the QR code at the park entrance or order at the Comprehensive Service Counters inside.
No. 1 Tiantan Road, Dongcheng District, Beijing.
