Temple of the Moon in Beijing
Chinese Name: 月坛公园
English Name: Temple of the Moon
Type:Park, Royal sacrifice & Cultural relics protection unit
Best Time: All Year Around
Recommended Visiting Hours: 1-3 hour
Opening Hours: 06: 00-21: 00 (January 1-December 31, Monday-Sunday)
Ticket:1 RMB for ticket
Location: South of Yuetan North Street Road, Xicheng District, Beijing
Why is Temple of the Moon so special?
Temple of the Moon is a place where emperors of Ming and Qing dynasties worship the moon god, and it is one of the famous five altars and eight temples in Beijing. A large number of pine and cypress trees as well as ornamental trees such as Borneo, Pomegranate and Osmanthus are planted in the garden. The theme of “moon” is tightly attached to the garden, highlighting the artistic conception of “moon”.
History of Temple of the Moon
Temple of the Moon was built in 1530. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the sacrificial activities for the night gods were abandoned and the Temple of the Moon became a place for troops to stay. During Japan’s invasion of China, trees inside and outside the Temple of the Moon were basically cut off.
After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the government stepped up its efforts to repair it and then slowly opened it to the public. In 2006, it was approved by the State Council to be included in the sixth batch of national key cultural relics protection units.
Main Attractions in Temple of the Moon
North Park with Ancient Architecture Style
The Altar of the Moon is 1.50 meters high and 14 meters square, covering an area of 196 square meters. White glazed tiles were used on the surface of the altar in the Ming Dynasty and brics were used on the surface of the altar in the Qing Dynasty.
The bell tower has two floors, which can be climbed to the second floor through the internal ticket gate. The original bronze bell cast in Ming Dynasty on the second floor is 3 meters high and weighs more than 2 tons. It was later moved to Dazhong Temple for preservation.
South Park with the theme of “Moon”
There are also 76 200-meter-long large wall steles in the garden, which are poems written by modern calligraphers describing the moon. There is a pavilion in the garden, which can be seen from a height overlooking the whole garden.
Sacrifice Ceremony
The emperor went to the Jufu Palace of the Temple of the Moon to change clothes, and then came to the front of the Altar of the Moon. The great procession of sacrificial officials, rear guard ministers, musicians and dancers, civil and military officials recreated the grand ceremony held by the emperor to celebrate the moon. hoping that the moon god can benefit the people and pray for peace and harmony.
How to Get There
- Take subway line 2 and get off at Fuchengmen Station. Then walk along South Lishi Road for about 10 minutes to the north gate of Yuetan Park.
- Take bus 3, 13, 15, 19, 42 or 56 and get off at Yuetan Park Station.
Nearby Attractions
Capital Museum
It shows Beijing’s 3,000-year history of city construction and 800-year history of capital construction. It is mainly divided into basic exhibition halls and special exhibition halls.
Xidan commercial street
The construction of Xidan Commercial Street insists on combining the renovation of dilapidated buildings along the street with the development of modern commercial services with multi-grade, multi-format and obvious characteristics.
