Temple of Heaven, Sixty-Year-Gate, east elevation

The Sixty-Year-Gate was specially built by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty to reduce the walking distance to the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, which became more difficult for him after he turned 60. Its Chinese name “Huajia” derives from the ancient Chinese sexagenary cycle calendar system, where sixty years constitute one full cycle, termed “one Jiazi”. The age of sixty is thus referred to as the ‘Huajia Year’, symbolising longevity and the cyclical nature of life.