Imperial Ancestral Temple (Taimiao)

The Imperial Ancestral Temple, known as Taimiao, is not just another palace complex. This is the place where for almost five centuries Chinese emperors of two great dynasties — the Ming and the Qing — performed rituals of worship to their ancestors. If the Forbidden City was the home of living emperors, then Taimiao was the home of deceased emperors. Here their souls, their memory, and their connection with heaven were kept.