The Square Water Altar in BeijingTemple of Earth

The Altar where Emperors in Ming and Qing Dynasties perform the ceremony of offering sacrifice to Earth has a surrounding ditch shaped into a square around the altar edge. So it is named Square Water Altar (Fang Ze Tan). The altar was firstly built in the 9th year of Emperor Jia Jing's reign in Ming Dynasty (1530), and was reconstructed the 15th year of Emperor Qian Long's reign in Qing Dynasty (1750) under instruction from the Emperor. The surface of the altar, which had been covered by yellow glazed bricks, became paved by light gray slabstones during the reconstruction. The current altar was rebuilt in 1981, following the style when it was under Emperor Qian Long's reign.
　　
The altar surface is of square shape, representing the ancient Chinese tale of "round heaven and square earth".