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Private Temple of Heaven Walking Tour: Explore Ming and Qing Era History in Beijing
4.7
9 Ratings
Dong Cheng Qu
Step back in time and immerse yourself in the enchanting history of China’s Ming and Qing eras on a private walking tour of Beijing’s Temple of Heaven. Uncover the architecture, spiritual symbolism, and captivating tales of this revered religious complex.
Duration:
2 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- Temple of Heaven - Your tour guide will meet you in your hotel’s lobby at your preferred time, then heading to Beijing’s UNESCO-protected Temple of Heaven and begin your tour of the extensive imperial altar complex, whose origins stretch back nearly 600 years.\n\nStroll around the temple’s leafy park, and see Beijing’s elderly enjoying their morning exercises, dances, and martial arts. As you watch, learn about retirement in China and the daily lives of its older citizens.\n- Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest - Next, make your way to the temple showpiece: the 15th-century Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. Constructed without a single nail, this magnificent circular wooden building boasts three blue-tile roofs and an ornate interior.\nTake a look around and hear how China’s emperors came here to pray for bountiful harvests. You will also visit a museum to get a deep understanding about this impressive building.\n- Danbi Bridge - Stroll along the Danbi Bridge, the temple’s main pathway, and pass the Emperors’ Changing Room, where the royals dressed for their prayers.\n- Temple of Heaven - Learn the stories of the 9-Dragon Juniper, a 500-year-old tree resembling climbing dragons; test how echo works at the Echo Wall and visit the Imperial Vault of Heaven, where Ming- and Qing-era emperors worshipped heaven during the winter solstice.\n\n- Echo Wall - Admire the richly decorated vault pavilion with its surrounding Echo Wall, and see the Circular Mound Altar, where sacrifices were offered to the gods.\n\nAfterward, your tour concludes when your guide leaves you at the temple’s South Gate. Your tour guide will help you to find a taxi to your next destination (at your own cost)
What's Included
- Entrance fee included
- Guided by a professional
- Transportation to the Temple of Heaven covered
- Exclusive private walking tour
- Complimentary hotel pickup within the 4th ring road of Beijing
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Hotel drop-off
Additional Information
Rewind to China’s Ming and Qing eras on a private walking tour of Beijing’s Temple of Heaven. Stroll around this historical religious complex, learning about its architecture and spiritual symbolism. Visit the Hall of Prayer of Good Harvests, where emperors prayed for fruitful harvests, and see the Imperial Vault of Heaven, Circular Mound Altar, and more. Plus, stroll around the temple park, seeing Beijing’s older citizens perform their morning exercises.
- Infant (0-4 years old) is free to join
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Please wear comfortable walking shoes
Location
天坛公园售票处
Meeting point, East gate of Temple of Heaven. You can reach here by taxi: 天坛东门 or subway line 5 at Tian'tan Dongmen Station. Exit A, then walk 50 meters
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.7
(9 Ratings)
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Annpr9659dz
Oct 11, 2023
Outstanding Tour Experience with Qing, Michael, and Cynthia! - I highly recommend Qing for facilitating the tour, and I can't praise Michael and Cynthia enough for being outstanding guides. Together, they made this tour an unforgettable experience. I look forward to booking another tour with them in the future!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Fergul9
Jul 1, 2019
Good Tour with Friendly Guide - For those short of time in Beijing, this is a no-hassle way to visit the temple of heaven with an informative guide. Jimmy was a pleasure to spend time with - friendly, happy to answer all questions, give advice and helping us to navigate not only the temple, but the metro system also.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jason
May 22, 2018
My wife and I had a great time on... - <p>My wife and I had a great time on our tour with Ye Qing. She was very knowledgeable about the Temple of Heaven and China in general. She showed us around and gave us advice on different places we should visit near our hotel. She was extremely friendly and spoke great English. I would definitely recommend using Ye Qing on another tour!</p>
Review provided by Viator
Najla
Apr 30, 2018
Our guide Jimmy was very enthusiastic... - Our guide Jimmy was very enthusiastic and delightful during this tour. He gave us an extensive overview of the history of this beautiful place. The tour was relaxed and fit our schedule quite nicely.
Review provided by Viator
Louise
Jun 22, 2017
This 2 hour tour was great as it... - <p>This 2 hour tour was great as it allowed flexibility with our schedule. Qing was very informative and great company. I would definitely book Qing again to show me the sights.</p>
Review provided by Viator
Ssmith670
Jul 14, 2019
Temple of heaven tour Beijing China - Our guide was Lucy She was fantastic She is very knowledgeable, friendly, and professional She answered our questions. She made the experience very enjoyable for both of us
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rafflesia
Aug 26, 2018
Read the fine print - Fellow travellers,
Wife and I just returned from this tour and found it enjoyable and informative.
Enjoyed the company of our guide Becky who accompanied and took care of us while engaging with entertaining commentary. It helps that she was always at hand to take photos of us as a couple against chosen backdrops.
We were there early at about 0830 with the crowd numbers growing with every hour. It was nice to be able to see locals exercising. A good experience
One warning regarding the fine print - the company advertises that transportation fees to the temple of Heaven is included - what this actually means is that the guide will meet you at the hotel lobby and then bring you to the nearest subway and then make your way to the Temple of Heaven. This should not be an issue for most travellers except that both my wife and I have issues with the joints in our legs with the many steps we had to undertake via line 1 (apparently, since this was the oldest line, there were no elevators or escalators) not helping at all. Coupled with the fondness of locals not respecting personal space, wanting to cut infront at every opportunity and the general quick pace one have to move less be nudged from human traffic behind, it was less than a stellar start to an otherwise very good tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Najienaj
Apr 23, 2018
Beautiful - Our guide Jimmy was very enthusiastic and delightful during this tour. He gave us an extensive overview of the history of this beautiful place. The tour was relaxed and fit our schedule quite nicely.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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