Temple of Earth 地坛

About Temple of Earth

Its central Fangze Altar uses a square plan to express the traditional association between the earth and that shape, contrasting with the circular forms of the Temple of Heaven. Built for imperial sacrifices, the ritual complex sits within a larger park of trees and paths. Give the altar and its surrounding ceremonial buildings their own attention before continuing into the landscaped grounds; the park and the historic ritual enclosure offer different experiences.

The temple was built in 1530, during the Jiajing era of the Ming dynasty, and covered 37.4 hectares; it is also called the Fangze Altar (方泽坛). It stands east of Andingmen, facing the Temple of Heaven, with the Yonghe Temple (雍和宫), the Confucius Temple (孔庙) and the Imperial Academy (国子监) across the river. The emperor personally performed sacrifices to the earth god each year on the summer solstice; the last was carried out by proxy in 1911. After the 1923 Tokyo earthquake, the deposed emperor Puyi opened the grounds to raise relief funds for Japan, and the site became a public park in 1925, was later renamed, fell derelict, and was restored as Ditan Park in 1957.

The Fangze Altar, the temple's main structure, is a two-tiered square platform of brick and stone facing north, surrounded by a moat that gives it its name; its lower tier once held the spirit tablets of mountains, ranges, seas and rivers during the ceremony. A bell tower built in 1530 was dismantled in 1965 and rebuilt to its original form in 2000. Restoration of the historic buildings began in 1981, and the site was designated a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level on 25 May 2006.

What to look for

• Fangze Altar: examine the square platform and enclosing geometry associated with sacrifices to the Earth.
• Ceremonial buildings: look for the Imperial Respecting House and the supporting sacrificial structures along the complex’s axis.

Location & getting there

Getting to Temple of Earth

Use Ditan Park in the Andingmen area as the arrival destination. It lies beyond the Second Ring Road, north of Yonghe Temple.

• If combining it with Yonghe Temple, check the street crossing around the ring road rather than treating the two compounds as adjoining courtyards.