Located in the southern part of Beijing and established in 1420, the Temple of Heaven (Tiantan) covers an area of 2,700,000 sq. m. It served as a complex of sacrificial buildings for the Ming and Qing emperors, and is the largest one in Beijing among several royal altars. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests (qiniandian) is 38 meters in height and 32 meters in diameter. It was included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List in 1998.

The Circular Mound Altar (huanqiu) was established in 1530. In architecture the entire design is symbolic. The southern part of the Inner Temple is square, while the northern part is semi-circular, a pattern representing the ancient belief that Heaven is round and Earth square.