The Temple of Heaven Park is about 4.8 kilometres south of Beijing’s Forbidden City. The park is a dignified complex of Taoist temples set in gardens, where the Ming and Qing emperors would conduct seasonal ceremonies, praying for good weather and harvests.

The temple’s layout, and that of individual buildings, symbolizes the relationship between Earth and Heaven at the heart of Chinese traditional cosmogony. The emperors had a special role of mediating between the natural and the spiritual worlds; their prayers were considered essential to the empire’s well-being.

The hall stands on a Qigutan, a three-level circular terrace from which a causeway, planned according to Taoist geomancy, leads to the Earthly Mount altar. The hall was destroyed by lightning in 1889 but underwent restoration a year later. It was designated a World Heritage Site in 1998.