The Temple of Heaven was built in 1420, the 18th year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Located on the east side, outside the Zhengyang Gate, it has a historical area of 2.73 million square meters. The Temple of Heaven was opened to the public as a park in 1918. In 1961, it was listed by China's State Council as one of the first batch of major historical and cultural sites protected at the national level. In 1998, it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 2024, the Beijing Central Axis was added to the World Heritage List. The Temple of Heaven was recognized as one of its 15 heritage components.