Hulan Confucius Temple

Hulan Confucius Temple

Hulan Confucius Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

The original structure of Hulan Confucius Temple featured a blue brick wall enclosing an area 160 meters long from north to south and 80 meters wide from east to west, covering an area of approximately 12,800 square meters.

The Temple of Confucius, also known as the Confucius Temple, is located at No. 1 Jianshe Street, Hulan District, Harbin City, within the premises of Heilongjiang Provincial Fourth Hospital. It is a temple dedicated to commemorating and worshipping Confucius, the great ancient Chinese philosopher, educator, politician, and founder of the Confucian school. On June 6, 1995, it was designated as a municipal-level cultural relics protection unit by the Harbin Municipal People’s Government. Construction began in 1927, continued in 1934, and was fully completed in 1936. The current site covers an area of 5,760 square meters with a building area of 676 square meters. The architecture is simple yet elegant, with carved beams and painted rafters. Its architectural features include hip-and-gable roofs, rolled awnings, bracket sets, and upturned eaves, arranged in a three-courtyard layout.

The Confucius Temple complex consists of the Chongsheng Shrine, Dacheng Hall, East and West Side Halls, Dacheng Gate, Lingxing Gate, East Huamen, West Huamen, Zhuangyuan Bridge, and Crescent Moon River. The East and West Side Halls, Dacheng Hall, and Chongsheng Shrine are aligned along a central axis, with symmetrical layouts on the left and right. The buildings showcase distinctive late Qing Dynasty classical ethnic architectural styles.

Hulan Confucius Temple is a place where people pay tribute and worship Confucius. According to experts, it is one of the few well-preserved Confucius Temples in Northeast China. In 2015, the district government invested over 4 million yuan to renovate the temple. On September 28, 2015, the 2566th anniversary of Confucius’ birth, Hulan District held a grand Confucius Worship Ceremony and the unveiling ceremony for the renovated and newly exhibited Confucius Temple, officially opening it to the public.

The Dacheng Hall has a building area of 300 square meters, with a width of five bays, a depth of three bays, a front length of 30 meters, and a roof height of 7 meters. It is constructed with bricks and tiles. Corridors surround the hall, with flying eaves and colorful carvings. Eight red pillars on the front highlight the wooden carved doors, giving it a dignified and graceful appearance. The East and West Side Halls are arranged symmetrically on either side of the Dacheng Hall, each spanning five bays in width and two bays in depth, covering an area of 140 square meters each. Six vertical pillars are adorned with colorful doors, blending seamlessly with the Dacheng Hall.

The front gate tower is primarily structured with two rows of upright pillars, flanked by slanted supports, with horizontal ridges atop, beneath which are flying eaves and layered carvings, creating a well-arranged and balanced design. The central gate is 5 meters wide and bears the inscription “Lingxing Gate.” The side gates each have horizontal plaques: the eastern one reads “Dao Guan Gu Jin” (Moral Authority Through the Ages), and the western one reads “De Pei Tian Di” (Virtue Matches Heaven and Earth). The gate tower is painted in deep red and light green, with exquisite cloud-and-dragon motifs. Looking north from the front gate tower, the Dacheng Gate, East and West Side Halls, and Dacheng Hall are all visible in one sweeping view, showcasing their full splendor.

The Zhuangyuan Bridge in front of the Lingxing Gate is 5 meters wide and made of wood. Beneath the bridge is a semi-circular brick pool coated with mortar, known as the Pan Pond, which is filled with water. This bridge faces the main gate but is not used for passage.

In Hulan, the worship of Confucius was traditionally considered a medium-level ritual, but it was elevated to a high-level ritual in the 33rd year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty (1907). Each year during the first month of spring and autumn, local officials presided over the ceremonies, though they were relatively modest in scale. During the Republican era, every spring, temporary straw shelters were erected in the campus of the Model Primary School. Officials, gentry, educators, students, and representatives from across the county gathered to conduct Confucius worship ceremonies. Though the procedures were simplified, the events were still solemn. The chief officiant was typically the county magistrate, with deputy officiants being the education bureau director and school principals. Rituals included drum beating, bell ringing, music performance, singing, reading of sacrificial texts, and offering of wine and food — all arranged broadly according to tradition, with little variation year to year.

Hulan prepared early for the annual Confucius worship. Physical education teachers organized rehearsals based on the “Eight-Row Dance” diagrams, while music teachers directed drum bands and choir practices. Each event saw participation from around 2,000 officials, gentry, and educators. The first Confucius worship at the temple was held in 1929, and in 1935, the temple became the official venue for the ceremonies.

Address: Hulan Historical and Cultural Park (within Heilongjiang Provincial Fourth Hospital)

Information source: Hulan District People’s Government