Temple of Sun which located at the eastern central of Beijing at Chaoyang District was the altar specifically used in ritual sacrifice to the Sun. Temple of Sun was built in 1530 within the reign of Emperor Jiajing of Ming Dynasty. The main altar is a single layered square platform which surrounded by circular wall. The surface of the altar was designed in red color which signified the Sun when it first built in Ming Dynasty. However, the red tiles were replaced by square bricks during Qing Dynasty. There were certain years according to Chinese lunar calendar that the emperor must host the ceremony for worshiping the Sun. During the ceremony, all the equipped used must be in red color and the emperor would wear red imperial robe as well.
Temple of Sun was designed as an altar facing west, so the West Gate is the main entrance to this temple. There are three Lingxing Men (Chinese Archway Entrance) located at the West of the altar, while the rest three directions with one each. There were some halls with specific usage, bell tower as well as the resting hall for the emperor before hosting the occasion at the northern part of the altar. Anyway, all these structures were rebuilt at the northwestern part of the altar in 1742 under the instruction of Emperor Qianlong of Qing Dynasty. However, most of the original structures within Temple of Sun were destroyed. The altar that you can see today is the one after the repairmen and renovation by the authority nowadays. It is small and lack of interest when compared to the famous tourist spot like the Temple of Heaven. But, it is still a suitable destination for you if you are searching for a relatively quiet and less crowded place to spend your time.