The Temple of Earth Built in 1530, the Altar of Earth is located in the northern part of Beijing, a little way off Andingmenwai Street. Extending over an area of 37 hectares(91.43 acres), it was surrounded by a double square enclosure. The outer enclosure no longer stands but its west gate remains.     For more than four centuries, the Altar of Earth was the sacred place where the emperors of the Ming and Qing dunasties worshipped the God of Earth. The place, formally reopened in 1984, has been converted into a park mainly serving the aged .