The altar
A square terrace.
Another Believer — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Dirrival — CC BY-SA 3.0 · rheins — CC BY 3.0 · Another Believer — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Another Believer — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Another Believer — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Another Believer — CC BY-SA 4.0 · rheins — CC BY 3.0
A park around the Altar of the Sun, built in 1530 under the Ming Jiajing Emperor together with the altars of the Earth and the Moon and an expansion of the Temple of Heaven, where the imperial court held yearly rites for the sun; red, the colour of the sun, marked everything used in them. It now lies in the embassy district east of the old city. The square altar still stands in the middle of the park with its walls and gateways, surrounded by a shady, quiet park of old trees, rockeries and pavilions where local people come for morning exercise; it is a protected national monument. Entry is free; the park opens from 6 am to 9 pm, to 10 pm from May to September, and the altar enclosure from 8 am to 5 pm, per visitor guides.
A square terrace.
The sun's colour.
Quiet shade.
6 Ritan North Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing
Silk Street Market (Xiushui)A shopping centre in Chaoyang, just west of the China World Trade Center, known 11 minutes walk
Galaxy SOHOAn office and retail complex at the south-west corner of Chaoyangmen Bridge on t14 minutes walk
Beijing Ancient ObservatoryOne of the oldest observatories in the world, built in 1442 under the Ming on a 15 minutes walk
CCTV HeadquartersThe headquarters of China Central Television, a 51-storey skyscraper on the East21 minutes walkYes, the park is free and opens from 6 am, and the altar enclosure from 8 am to 5 pm, per visitor guides.