temple
Temple of Heaven
Where Ming emperors communed with heaven through annual sacred ritual
About Temple of Heaven
The Temple of Heaven complex was built in 1420 as the ceremonial site where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties came twice yearly to pray for good harvests and communicate with heaven. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests — a triple-gabled circular hall built without a single nail — is one of the great masterpieces of Chinese classical architecture.