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The Temple of Heaven (Tiantan) in Beijing, China
a must-see site in Beijing
The Temple of Heaven, in Beijing, the People's Republic of China, is another of the must-see tourist sites in Beijing and its main attraction, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, is one of the iconic structures used most often to symbolize the city of Beijing. The Temple of Heaven was built during the same time as the Forbidden City (1406 - 1420 A.D.) by Emperor Yongle (Zhu Di), the Chinese emperor responsible for moving the capital city from Nanjing to Beijing, as well as being the emperor responsible for the construction of the Ming Dynasty Tombs. The temple complex was used for imperial religious ceremonies from the time of its construction by every emperor until the early 20th century. The blue glazed roof tiles used throughout the complex are used to symbolize the concept of "heaven". One interesting fact about one of the oldest buildings in Beijing, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, is that it is built entirely of wood - no nails were used in its construction. The Temple of Heaven was added as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998. You can tour the Temple of Heaven, the Great Wall of China, Beijing and all of China with Beijing Discovery Tours, based in Beijing, China! We are an American & Chinese operated tour company offering exceptional tourism services to the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven and all of Beijing as well as fantastic Yangtze River Cruises and trips to see the Terracotta Warriors in Xian. We can offer a customized, private Beijing tour and Great Wall tours for individuals, groups & families to experience the amazing 5,000 year-old culture of China. Private group tours are also available for schools and organizations. Please contact us for customized individual and private China group tours and Beijing group tours.