Temple of Heaven in Winter

The Temple of Heaven (aka Tiantan Park), literally the Altar of Heaven, is located in southern Beijing. It was first constructed in 1420, the 18th year of the reign of Ming emperor Yongle, and was extended and renovated during the reigns of Ming emperor Jiajing and Qing emperor Qianlong. Covering an area of 273 hectares, the complex was visited by the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to heaven for good harvest. It has been regarded as a Taoist temple, although Chinese heaven worship, especially by the reigning monarch of the day, pre-dates Taoism. Today, the temple is also known as the largest architectural complex in the world for rituals to pay homage to heave. In 1998, the temple was recognized by UNESCO as world cultural heritage site. And being the largest remaining imperial worship building to heaven, the Temple of Heaven was selected to the CHINA WORLD RECORDS ASSOCIATION (CWRA) in 2009. 
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