A world-class artistic treasure, Beijing's Temple of Heaven has many stories behind its architectural charm. Built by the Ming Emperor Cheng Zu in 1420, the Temple of Heaven was used as a place of worship for the Heaven for harvest by a succession of emperors in the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911). The plain round altar called Huanqiu , was rebuilt in 1752 during the reign of Qing Emperor Gaozong. The Qiniandian or Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests was rebuilt in 1890 under Emperor Dezong, the penult one in Qing Dynasty. 
The Temple of Heaven is enclosed by two walls and stretches 1,700 m from east to west and 1,600 m from north to south. There are square corners in the southern side and round corners in the northern side, symbolizing the square of earth and roundness of heaven. East of the front (west) gate, within the inner wall there is a Zhai Gong (fasting-palace) in the south for the emperor to fast and bathe before worship. Further east is a north-south vertical axis formed by the main buildings. Huanqiu, a high and round footpace, is in the south with a three-layered stone terrace. Within the northern courtyard of Huanqiu is a round hall - the imperial vault where the spirit tablet of the heavenly god lies. Further north is the Qiniandian Hall accessed by Danbi Bridge.
Danbi bridge - Beijing's first overpass
Danbi Bridge is actually the main road in the Temple of Heaven and connects the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest with the Imperial Vault of Heaven. It's 360 m long and 29.4 m wide and ascends from one meter high in the south to three meters high at the northern end. The increasing height of the bridge has two meanings: first it represents the course of the emperor "stepping upward toward heaven"; and it also shows that the road from earth to heaven is long.
Danbi Bridge was the only way for the emperor to get to the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. The central path was reserved for divine gods, the path on the left was reserved for the emperor and court officials used the path on the right
You may ask, it's obviously a road, so why is it called a bridge? The bridge is four meters above ground, and a tunnel passes under the path, so it's correct to call it a bridge.
The tunnel is called Jin Sheng Gate, meaning the way for sacrifices. Cows and sheep were herded into the Butchery Pavilion to be sacrificed. Of course these animals weren't allowed to walk on the sacred Danbi Bridge, so the tunnel was built for them, creating China's first cloverleaf junction. The tunnel is also called the Gate of Hell, and no one dares go near it.
The famous Echo Wall at the Heart of Heavenly Stone
The Heart of Heavenly Stone lies on the center of the Circular Mound Altar. In the past, when emperors delivered ceremonial speeches here a magical thing happened: even if the emperor spoke quietly, his voice sounded so powerful it could be heard clearly by the whole audience. The emperors interpreted this phenomenon as evidence that they were Tian Zi (the sons of God), and proclaimed this mysterious phenomenon meant everyone must obey them or run the risk of being an enemy of God.
Of course, there is a scientific reason behind this phenomenon. Sounds from the Heart of Heavenly Stone are rapidly echoed by the surrounding stone walls, and the loud voice heard by emperors and officials is actually a mixture of the original voice and echoes. But because the distance between the Heavenly Center Stone and the stone walls is short, the original sound can hardly be distinguished from the echo so people heard a louder voice
A new layer of stone was added to protect the original which was eroded by large numbers of tourists; this changed the acoustics of the Circular Mound Altar. These days there's usually a crowd of people standing between the Heart of Heavenly Stone and the stone walls so visitors can barely hear the echo. But it's still a wonderful experience to have a chance to stand where emperors once stood and hear your voice go straight up to heaven.
The Temple of Heaven has been a great attraction and a must-see scenic spot for all the tourists home and abroad.
The best advantage of visiting this quarter is only 10 minutes drive from Tian An Men Square and you can cover Forbidden City, the Square, The Temple of Heaven and a lane tour in the afternoon. You have a stroll over the Wangfujing Commercial Street at dusk or in the evening.
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