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Why does the Temple of Heaven have round and square enclosure walls?

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Map of eastern Asia highlighting China and its neighboring countries, with an arrow pointing to Beijing Municipality in northeastern China. The map includes international boundaries, disputed borders, and lines of control, and shows major surrounding countries such as Russia, Mongolia, India, Japan, North Korea, and South Korea. An inset at the bottom left shows the location of China within Asia. — Beijing Beijing city and municipality, China.

The Temple of Heaven in Beijing features a unique geometric layout that serves as a symbolic representation of traditional Chinese cosmology. The use of round and square enclosure walls is intended to reflect the ancient belief that heaven is round and the Earth is square.12

This architectural symbolism is integrated throughout the complex:

Enclosure Walls: The enclosure wall to the south of the temple is square, while the one to the north is semicircular, mirroring the concept of Earth and heaven, respectively.2
Circular Mound Altar: This structure is enclosed by two sets of walls that are square on the outside and round on the inside, creating an integrated geometric pattern that portrays the structure of heaven as conceived by Ming dynasty architects.12

By utilizing these specific shapes, the architects created a physical manifestation of the relationship between the celestial and terrestrial realms, reinforcing the temple's significance as a site for imperial worship.12