Home » Tourist Attractions » Beijing Attractions Map » Beijing Altar of Earth

Beijing Altar of Earth Map Travel Guide

Print Zoom-in Zoom-out

The Altar of Earth, also called the Altar of Land and Grain, was built in 1530 for emperors of Ming and Qing dynasties to offer sacrifices to the God of Earth and pray for good harvests. Twice a year in spring and autumn until the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1911, emperors would go to worship this sacred place.

And this place was converted into a park, now called Zhongshan Park, and was formally reopened to the public in 1984. It is located in the northwest of Tiananmen Square and occupied an area of 37 hectares. At the centre, the public can play chess, billiards, and table tennis, or listen to lectures on flower-growing, practice TaiChi, or "qigong" (a system of deep breathing exercises).