The Temple of Heaven was the most important temple for Ming and Qing emperors. Once a year, the emperor came to worship the heavens and pray for a bountiful year. An architectural rendering of heaven (round) and earth (square), the temples are circular with square bases. Key sights are the Round Altar, Echo Wall, the Imperial Vault of Heaven and the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest.
Getting there: public transport to the east gate, bus no. 807 or no. 812 from just north of the Chongwen Men metro stop (209, exit B) to Fahua Si. The best approach is from the south gate. Taking a taxi is a good option.
Lunch Break: After your Temple visit, skip over to the Noodle Loft for an adventure in Shanxi cuisine, which is based on, you guessed it, the noodle. Open for lunch between 11-2:30pm (dinner 5:30-10:30pm), the Noodle Loft is a fun diversion in noodle culture as well as a pit stop in itself. Dawang Road #20, tel 010 6774 9950. Getting there: Metro stop - Dawang Lu (123) or taxi.
