Date with 20 cultural heritage sites at Cultural and Natural Heritage Day (7)

7. Temple of Heaven: an Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing

The Temple of Heaven in the southern part of Beijing is China's largest existing complex of ancient sacrificial buildings. Occupying an area of 273 hectares, it is three times the area of the Forbidden City. (Photo: China.org.cn/Feng Jun)

Located in the southern part of Beijing, the Temple of Heaven is a magnificent complex of fine cultural buildings set in gardens and surrounded by historic pine woods.

It has been one of the most sacred places for the whole country for more than five centuries. 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 to Heaven, Earth, the Sun, the Moon and other deities or symbolic forces of nature.

It was added to the list in 1998.