The Temple of Heaven at a glance
The Temple of Heaven, Tiantan or ๅคฉๅ, lies at 7 Tiantan Neidongli in Dongcheng, Beijing, east of the historic Zhengyangmen gate. Ming and Qing emperors made offerings to heaven here and prayed for good harvests. It was never an imperial residence. The grounds cover about 273 hectares and have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998.
This guide covers tickets and passport booking, opening hours, tours, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Circular Mound Altar, the Echo Wall, the park in the morning, architecture, history, city tours, Qianmen Street, getting there, the best time to visit and where to stay. Prices are in Chinese yuan (CNY) as of 2026 and can change. The park and the main halls have different hours, so read the opening hours before you fix a time.
Our picks: Temple of Heaven tours and tickets
Our take: the full day with the Forbidden City covers both sights with entries and a guide. The private day adds Tiananmen and a car, and the simple ticket is enough if you want to walk the park on your own.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven in one day
- Entries incl. Temple of Heaven
- Guide
- Water
Both sights with a guide and the entries in the price. Lunch and hotel transfer depend on the package.
Check availability โ
Private day: Tiananmen, Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven
- Entries incl. Hall of Prayer
- Hotel transfer
- Fuel, parking and tolls
A private car and guide with entries including the Hall of Prayer. Lunch is only part of the full package.
Check availability โ
Temple of Heaven entry ticket
- Temple of Heaven ticket
- Visit at your own pace
A simple ticket for a visit on your own. Choose the Temple of Heaven option when you book.
Check availability โTemple of Heaven tours and day trips
Guided visits, Beijing city tours and day trips that include the Temple of Heaven, with live prices and availability.
Plan your visit
Start with tickets and hours, then pick the sights you want to see.
Tickets and booking
Prices from CNY 10 to CNY 34, free entry for under 18s and how to book with a passport.
Opening hours
Park from 06:00 or 06:30, halls from 08:00, and the Monday closure.
Tours and guides
The park guide service with group fees, the digital guide and booked tours.
Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests
The round hall with three blue roofs and how it was built.
Circular Mound Altar
Three terraces, nine rings of stone and the heart stone at the center.
Echo Wall
The curved wall around the Imperial Vault and the three echo stones.
Tiantan Park in the morning
Tai chi, singing, dancing and chess among old trees, and how to watch with respect.
Architecture and symbolism
Round heaven, square earth, blue roofs and the 360 m Danbi Bridge.
History
From the Ming emperors in 1420 to the public park of 1918.
Beijing city tours
How to combine the Temple of Heaven with Qianmen and other sights.
Qianmen Street
Old shopfronts, Dashilan and the reopened Zhengyangmen gate tower.
Getting there
Metro Line 5 to the east gate, Line 8 to the west gate and the four entrances.
Best time to visit
Monthly temperatures, rain and the holiday weeks of 2026.
Where to stay
Qianmen, the east side of the park or Wangfujing: which area fits.
A few things to know before you go
The points that most often change a plan.
Mondays
Since 1 September 2026 the Hall of Prayer, the Echo Wall, the Circular Mound Altar, the Hall of Abstinence (Zhaigong), the north Divine Kitchen and the north Sacrificial Animal Pavilion close on Mondays. Statutory public holidays are exempt.
Opening hours โPark hours are not hall hours
The park stays open into the evening, with last entry at 21:00. The main monuments close at 17:00 or 18:00, depending on the season. An evening ticket gets you a walk, not access to the halls.
The park in the morning โChildren and teenagers
Visitors under 18 enter free with valid documents. Bring the passport of every traveler, and book with the passport you will carry.
Tickets โThe size of the Hall of Prayer
The hall is about 38 m tall and about 24 m across between the outer eave columns. Its roofs are uniformly blue today. Earlier versions of the hall had blue, yellow and green tiers.
The hall โZhengyangmen is open again
The Zhengyangmen gate tower reopened on 27 July 2026. It has its own ticket of CNY 20, separate from the Temple of Heaven, and is closed on Mondays.
Qianmen โMore of Beijing
Other sights have their own guides.
For the palace complex and Tiananmen Square, see the guide to the Forbidden City. The Qing court's summer residence has its own guide to the Summer Palace, and the guide to the Great Wall at Mutianyu covers the wall as a day trip from the city. This site stays with the Temple of Heaven and its neighborhood.
More independent guides to Beijing
Separate guides from the same team.
Temple of Heaven: frequently asked questions
Is the Temple of Heaven open on Monday?
The park is separate from the monuments. Since 1 September 2026 the Hall of Prayer, the Echo Wall and the Circular Mound Altar close on Mondays, except on statutory holidays. A Monday visit means a walk in the park, not the main halls. See the opening hours.
How much is a Temple of Heaven ticket?
In 2026 the combo ticket with park entry costs CNY 34 from 1 April to 31 October and CNY 28 from 1 November to 31 March. Park entry alone is CNY 15 or CNY 10. The tickets page has the full table.
Do I need my passport?
Yes. Foreign visitors book online with a passport or a Foreign Permanent Resident ID, and the same document is checked at the gate. Visitors under 18 enter free with valid documents.
Can I visit in the evening?
The park is open until 22:00, with last entry at 21:00. The main monuments close at 17:00 or 18:00, so an evening visit covers the grounds only.
Do I need a visa for China?
It depends on your passport. German citizens with a suitable ordinary passport can enter for tourism for up to 30 days without a visa under a rule that runs until 31 December 2026. Check your own government's travel advice and the current entry rules before you book.
Is temple-of-heaven.org the official website?
No. This is an independent travel guide, not run by the park, a city authority or a tour company. It does not sell park entry tickets. Tour offers on this site come from third-party providers.