TEMPLE OF HEAVEN, Introduction

Hi, my name’s Scott, and I’m your personal guide. Along with MyWoWo, I’d like to welcome you to one of the Wonders of the World: the Temple of Heaven.

The Temple of Heaven is a huge complex of magnificent buildings, erected between 1406 and 1420 during the reign of Emperor Yongle of the Ming dynasty, who also ordered the building of the Forbidden City. It was reserved for nobility and members of the imperial court, and was destined for the cult of Taoism, a Chinese religion based on philosophical doctrines.

The complex was later expanded and given the name Temple of Heaven during the reign of Emperor Jiajing of the Ming dynasty in the 16th century, and renovated again in the 18th century under Emperor Qianlong of the Qing dynasty....