Temple · Beijing, China
Temple of Heaven
The Temple of Heaven (simplified Chinese: 天坛; traditional Chinese: 天壇; pinyin: Tiāntán) is a complex of imperial religious Confucian buildings situated in the southeastern part of central Beijing.
Photo: Shujianyang via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Beijing, China |
|---|---|
| Type | Temple |
| Area | Area: 31.558 km² |
| Coordinates | 39.8822° N, 116.4066° E |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Temple of Heaven is known for
The Temple of Heaven (simplified Chinese: 天坛; traditional Chinese: 天壇; pinyin: Tiāntán) is a complex of imperial religious Confucian buildings situated in the southeastern part of central Beijing.
About Temple of Heaven
The Temple of Heaven (simplified Chinese: 天坛; traditional Chinese: 天壇; pinyin: Tiāntán) is a complex of imperial religious Confucian buildings situated in the southeastern part of central Beijing. The complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and then later restored by the Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for a good harvest and other seasonal rites. The Temple of Heaven was inscribed as a World Heritage site in 1998 and was described as "a masterpiece of architecture and landscape design which simply and graphically illustrates a cosmogony of great importance for the evolution of one of the world's great civiliza
History
The temple complex was first built in 1420, during the reign of the Yongle Emperor of the Ming dynasty, who was also responsible for the construction of the Forbidden City in Beijing. It was later expanded and reconstructed under the Jiajing Emperor and the Qianlong Emperor. During the Jiajing reign in the 16th century, the former Altar of Heaven and Earth was renamed the Temple of Heaven in 1534.
Planning a visit? Visit the official Temple of Heaven website — the official site has the current visiting information.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Beijing |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Beijing Nanyuan Airport (NAY) |
| Distance from the airport | 7.0 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) · Beijing, China · 16.8 miles away
- Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX) · Beijing, China · 26.3 miles away
- Tianjin Binhai International Airport (TSN) · Tianjin, China · 72.5 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in China
More temples
Frequently asked questions
What is Temple of Heaven?
The Temple of Heaven (simplified Chinese: 天坛; traditional Chinese: 天壇; pinyin: Tiāntán) is a complex of imperial religious Confucian buildings situated in the southeastern part of central Beijing.
Where is Temple of Heaven located?
Temple of Heaven is in Beijing, China. Its coordinates are 39.8822° N, 116.4066° E.
How do I get to Temple of Heaven?
The nearest town is Beijing, and the nearest airport is Beijing Nanyuan Airport (NAY), about 7.0 miles away (straight line).
What is the history of Temple of Heaven?
The temple complex was first built in 1420, during the reign of the Yongle Emperor of the Ming dynasty, who was also responsible for the construction of the Forbidden City in Beijing. It was later expanded and reconstructed under the Jiajing Emperor and the Qianlong Emperor.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Heaven — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q125445 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://www.tiantanpark.com/ — Official website of the landmark / managing body.
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.