Ritan Park in Beijing

Ritan (The Sun God Altar) was also known as Chaori altar, located in the southeast of Chaoyangmenwai in Beijing. The altar was built in the ninth year of Emperor Jiajing reign in the Ming Dynasty (AD 1530), and it was used to be the place where emperors in Ming and Qing feted the "Sun God". The altar was shaped as a square. In 1951 the Beijing government decided to expand the altar to an area of 21 hectares for Ritan Park. Under the concern from Premier Zhou Enlai, construction of South, North Gate and Exhibition Showcase were completed. From then on, a series of construction were conducted. Mudanyuan, Shengchunyuan and other places of interest within the park were delicately arranged in the park. [Photo/chinapic.people.com.cn]