The Imperial Ancestral Temple (太庙)

Taimiao, or the Imperial Ancestral Temple, was served as the site where ancient Chinese emperors held memorial ceremonies to the imperial family's ancestors. It was built in Yongle reign of Ming Dynasty (1420) and covered an area of more than 200 mu, which was constructed based on the Chinese ancient and traditional etiquette of “Jin Tian Fa Zu (to learn and apply the laws of Nature in a manner of awe and rigorous)”.


Its planar view is a 475-m-long-and-294-m-wide rectangle. In the center of this tri-enclosed courtyard stand Three Halls (Front, Mid and Rear) covering 2,240 m2. Its breadth spans 11 rooms and depth 4 rooms. It bears the hallmarks of double-eave hip roofs, three-layered alabaster Sumeru pedestal, stone railings on four sides, eaglewood-wrapped main beams and other phoebe nanmu components.

The Imperial Ancestral Temple has fine production and luxury decoration, ceiling and porch column both have red gold flowers decorated. Two sides of the audience hall both have fifteen side halls, the east side hall consecrated the meritorious thrones of the royal family of past dynasties, the western side hall worshiped different names of meritorious thrones.


After the audience hall, the middle temple and back hall both have nine large halls with yellow glazed tile veranda roof; the middle temple normally was called sleeping hall, and the back hall was called temple of remote ancestors. Besides, there are many other buildings, such as sacrificial kitchen, sacrificial storehouse, slaughter pavilion (the place in which animals used for sacrifice were slaughtered before an ancient royal sacrifice), etc. The most famous scene in the Imperial Ancestral Temple is the ancient cypress that has been over hundreds of years old, which is various, old and strong.

Main attraction: Main Gate, Colored Glazed Door, Da Ji Men, Jimen Bridge, Liao Lu, Front Hall, Middle Temple, Back Hall, Eastern Side Hall of Xiang Dian, Western Side Hall of Xiang Dian, Tiao Dian (Temple for Remote Ancestors)