Tooling Around Ditan, Ritan & Yuetan
When I was studying in Beijing in 2012, people often asked if I had visited the same three places: the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and the Temple of Heaven.
I went to the Great Wall during my first month of study, so was able to quickly check that off the list. The Forbidden City came a month later, and I’ve been back four times since that first visit. However, it wasn’t until six months into my time as an exchange student here that I finally visited the Temple of Heaven (天坛 tiāntán).
This isn't an attempt at an artsy shot inside the Temple of Heaven, just an attempt to avoid crowds.
After experiencing the other two sites, the temple felt like a bit of a letdown: just a big park that happens to have a few rooms and a sacrificial altar. It wasn't until later that I came to understand the significance of the place – as the Son of Heaven, it was the emperor's foremost means of communicating with the gods, asking for good harvests around every winter solstice.
But what if I told you there were yet more parks with altars of this kind – three others to be exact – on opposite sides of Beijing, that can be accessed with ease and have fewer crowds than the Temple of Heaven?
Well, you'd best believe it, because these places, the Temple of Earth, Temple of Moon, and Temple of Sun, can all be found within the capital and seen in a full day if you're up to it.
Constructed in 1530 and used for sacrifices to the Moon, 月坛 yuètán, as it's known in Chinese, lies on the city's west side, a little southwest of Fuchengmen Station on Line 2. Yuetan is the smallest of the "tans," and somewhat underwhelming. Although it's a pretty park, the altar here has, unfortunately, had a giant tower placed over it.
A view of the Moon Reflecting Pool
Be that as it may, it's a nice place to stroll for a while, to sit and enjoy old folks practicing their opera chops or gazing into the Moon Reflecting Pool, imagining what it'd be like to come at night and witness the moon dancing on the water.
Yuetan Park 月坛公园
A6 Yuetan Beijie, Xicheng District
西城区月坛北街甲6号
Entry: RMB 1
Hours: Daily, 6am-9pm
Draw a line directly across from Yuetan – or simply hop on Line 6 and take it to Chaoyangmen Station – and you'll find 日坛 rìtán. Also constructed in 1530, it was utilized every spring equinox for prayers and sacrificial offerings to that great big ball of fire in the sky.
One of the entrances to Ritan Park
Today, it's a popular public park, and even though most of the ancient buildings here – including the altar complex – are curiously closed to the public, everything can still be peeped at through gate holes and doors.
Fun fact, when you enter the park, there's an impressive mosaic mural of the Sun being offered to the people of Earth. This piece of art wasn't erected in the 1500s but was actually added in the 1970s to commemorate the Reform and Opening Up Policy enacted under Deng Xiaoping.
When everyone thinks you're ancient but you're just a little over 50 years old
Ritan Park 日坛公园
6 Ritan Beilu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区日坛北路6号
Entry: Free
Hours: Daily, 6am-9.30pm
They really loved building their altars in 1530, because this one also cropped up about the same time. Unlike the other two, though, 地坛 dìtán is the second largest temple complex in Beijing, with first-place going to Tiantan. Located near Yonghegong Lama Temple, it connects on a north-south axis with its heavenly counterpart as well.
While sacrifices were once prepared here, they didn't have to pay for entry back then
Here, you'll find a square altar instead of a round one. Shapes were used to signify sacred things in ancient China, and while the circle signified heaven, Earth was represented by a square. The emperor came here every summer solstice to ask for things like good harvests, good weather, and stability for the nation.
The Temple of Earth's square-shaped altar.
If you can't make it to the other two, or just want to avoid the crowds at Temple of Heaven, Temple of Earth is the place to visit. There are far fewer people and it's easier to access and spend time in all the buildings used before and after prayers and sacrifices were made.
Ditan Park 地坛公园
A2 Andingmenwai Dajie, Dongcheng District
东城区安定门外大街甲2号
Entry: RMB 2 (may include fees for sites within park)
Hours: 6am-9.30pm
Earth, Heaven, Sun, and Moon once swayed the fortunes of the capital and those who governed it. Seeing all four of the temples honoring these celestial bodies is a great way to understand the mythology of ancient China, as well as to gain a better understanding of the history of Beijing.
READ MORE
Urban Hiking: Get To Know Beijing With These Historical Walks
Images: Wikimedia, Vincent R. Vinci
advertisement
Help Us Choose Our Mascot for Taco Fest! |
How Do You Want to Spend Your Weekends? Come Join The Beijinger | |
Beijing News You Might Have Missed This Week, Apr 29 |