The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is located in the northern part of the Temple of Heaven Park in Beijing, also known as the Altar of Prayer for Grain. It is the venue for the grand ceremony of praying for grain in early spring, originally constructed in the 18th year of the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty (1420). It is one of the earliest structures in the Temple of Heaven. Destroyed by lightning fire in the 15th year of the Guangxu era (1889), the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests that we see today is a later restoration according to the original design.
The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests can be considered the iconic building of the Temple of Heaven. Upon seeing it, one immediately thinks of the Temple of Heaven and Beijing. The altar of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is a combination of a circular altar and hall, established based on the ancient saying ‘sacrifice under the roof to the emperor’. The lower part of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is the altar, which is three-tiered and 5.6 meters high; the hall is circular, with a diameter of 32.7 meters and a height of 38 meters. It features a triple eave spire roof covered with gilded treasure top blue tiles, with each layer receding, making the entire structure aesthetically pleasing, grand, and imposing. Inside the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, there are 28 large columns made of golden nanmu wood, arranged in a circular pattern. The four columns in the inner circle symbolize the four seasons, the 12 columns in the middle circle represent the 12 months, and the 12 columns in the outer circle signify the 12 hours and the stars of the zodiac. The beams and rafters inside the hall are adorned with dragon and phoenix paintings. In addition to the main structure of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, there are other buildings such as the Hall of Heavenly Qian, eastern and western side halls, the Gate of Prayer, the divine kitchen, the slaughtering pavilion, and the long corridor. On the square to the south of the corridor, there is the Seven-Star Stone, a talisman stone placed during the Jiajing period. Opening hours: 04/01-08/18 Tuesday-Sunday 08:00-18:00; 08/20-08/25 Tuesday-Sunday 08:00-18:00; 08/27-10/31 Tuesday-Sunday 08:00-18:00; 11/01-03/31 Tuesday-Sunday 08:00-17:00; 01/01-08/18 Monday closed; 08/20-08/25 Monday closed; 08/27-12/31 Monday closed; New Year’s Day, Spring Festival 08:00-17:00; Qingming Festival, Labor Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, National Day 08:00-18:00; 08/19 08:00-18:00; 08/26 08:00-18:00.
