Beijing Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven is one of the most famous temples in Beijing, and probably one of the most recognizable temples in China. Located in the southeastern part of Beijing, the Temple of Heaven is made up of a complex of imperial religious buildings. During the Qing and Ming dynasties Emperors would come to pray here. When visiting Beijing, I highly recommend adding the Temple of Heaven to your itinerary.

Visiting the Temple of Beijing: Check out my video visiting the Temple of Heaven!

How to Get to the Temple of Heaven

It’s very easy to take public transportation to the Temple of Heaven. Take Metro Line 5 to Tiantandongmen (Temple of Heaven East Gate) and take Exit D. Alternatively, you can take a taxi or didi here.

Tickets for the Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven actually covers a huge park area with separate parts. You can buy individual tickets to the separate areas, or buy a through ticket that will get you into all the parts. The Heavenly Alter, the most famous temple, is further inside and the main temple that visitors want to see, so I recommend buying a through ticket.

Go Early: The Temple of Heaven opens at 6am, but the Heavenly Alter area doesn’t open until 8am. I recommend going early to buy your ticket and wait for the Heavenly Alter area to open, so you can be there early and avoid the crowds that arrive later around 10am.

Enjoy your Visit!

I went on Friday, August 14 and was extremely lucky with beautiful blue skies and no crowds! I’ve never seen the Temple area so empty. I had a fantastic time walking around and taking photos without many people around.