Temple of Earth Park (also called Ditan Park) is the home of one of the four major temples in Beijing. The Temple of Earth is the second largest, after the Temple of Heaven. It was built in the 16th century by a Ming emperor, and was the place where the emperor made sacrifices to the earth god on a square altar. The square was a potent symbol in Chinese culture and mythology. The summer solstice was the most important time for the emperor to make ritual sacrifices in this temple. Here visitors can see the Hall of Deities. Temple of Earth Park is in the Dongcheng District in the northern part of Beijing, just outside the second ring road, and covers 47 hectares (116 acres). The Chinese government has classified the Temple of the Earth as one of the country's most important historical monuments and has placed it under special protection.
The Temple of Earth occupies only a small portion of the park. The altar in the center of the temple is called Fang Ze Tan (Square Water Altar). At one time it was in the middle of a pool of water. The temple is on a north-south axis and consists of five main buildings: the Imperial Respecting House, the Fangze Altar, the Sacrifice Pavilion, the Fasting Palace and the Divine Warehouse. The Fangze Altar is the largest building, covering almost 18,000 square meters. Temple of Earth Park also has a children's playground and is the site of temple fairs. It is popular with joggers and practitioners of tai chi. People can also purchase brushes to do water painting on the concrete.
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