Chongming Confucius Temple

Chongming Confucius Temple

Chongming Confucius Temple is a municipal-level cultural heritage protection unit.

Chongming Confucius Temple is one of only three surviving Confucian temples in Shanghai today. The current site is also known as the Chongming Museum and is a municipal-level cultural heritage protection unit. It is located at Nanmen Wharf in Chongming, Shanghai. Originally, the temple grounds measured 144.2 meters from east to west on the eastern side, 148.3 meters on the western side, and 80 meters in width from north to south. The complex included exquisitely built structures such as halls, palaces, chambers, halls, ancestral shrines, and pavilions. During the Qing Dynasty, it was renovated ten times. After the Republic of China period, the Confucius Temple was used as an elementary school and by other organizations. Following three recent rounds of restoration, the original layout has gradually been restored. The site now covers an area of 23.21 mu, making it the largest Confucian temple in the Shanghai area. Major structures include the east and west memorial archways, Lingxing Gate, Pan Pond, Dengyun Bridge, east and west official halls, Jimen (Rank Gate), Xiangxian Shrine, Minghuan Shrine, Zhongyi Xiaoti Shrine, Dacheng Hall, east and west side halls, Zunjing Pavilion, and Chongsheng Shrine. These Ming and Qing dynasty architectural complexes are grand and magnificent in scale, offering visitors an unforgettable experience. Currently, the ancient buildings such as the Minglun Hall and Yimen have been restored.

In the fourth year of the Yuan Taiding era (1327), a complex integrating a temple and school was first constructed. From the Song and Yuan dynasties to the mid-Ming Dynasty, the various shoals of Chongming suffered repeated tidal invasions. The prefectural and county seats — relocated and rebuilt six times in five moves — led to the Confucian temple being repeatedly constructed and destroyed. The current Chongming Confucius Temple was rebuilt in the second year of the Ming Tianqi era (1622) by Magistrate Tang Shihan in the southeast corner outside the city moat, and has since undergone multiple renovations. In the early years of the Republic of China, the temple had structures such as the Wanren Palace Wall, Lingxing Gate, Pan Pond, Dengyun Pavilion, Jimen, Minghuan Shrine, Xiangxian Shrine, Zhongyi Xiaoti Shrine, east and west side halls, Dacheng Hall, Chongsheng Shrine, worship pavilion, and Jingyi Pavilion. The Confucian school included a main gate, Yimen, Earth God Shrine, sweeping hall, Minglun Hall, Yingzhou Academy, Wenchang Palace, Kuixing Pavilion, Xuehai Hall building, teaching office, Zunjing Pavilion, training office, Bowen Studio, Yueli Studio, Douji Public Office, training office, Bowen Studio, Yueli Studio, Douji Public Office, and more. Starting in 1913, schools were established within the temple complex, with the Chongsheng Shrine and Zunjing Pavilion serving as school buildings. In 1942, the Japanese invaders seized the Confucius Temple and converted the Confucian school office into barracks. The Dacheng Hall and east and west side halls of the temple were destroyed in the war. After 1946, the temple was again used as school space, with ancient buildings repurposed as classrooms, dormitories, and offices. Starting in 1966, the temple was used by several organizations including the County Commune and Brigade Industry Bureau and the County Science Commission. In May 1981, the temple was designated as a county-level cultural heritage protection unit. In May 1984, it was further listed as part of the third batch of Shanghai municipal cultural heritage protection units. In 1997, the Dacheng Hall and east and west side halls were restored on the original site. In 2001, the Minglun Hall and Yimen were restored.

In front of the gate stand two 350-year-old ginkgo trees, each requiring three people to encircle, along with a pair of grand stone lions, creating an imposing atmosphere. The largest structure in the Confucius Temple is the Dacheng Hall, reminiscent of the Mahavira Hall in a Buddhist temple. This is the site where Confucius is worshipped, while the east and west side halls served as dormitories for his 72 disciples. Today, the Dacheng Hall temporarily houses an ancient boat exhibition room. The east side hall mainly displays photos and stories of notable figures from Chongming, as well as some ancient artifacts unearthed on the island. The west side hall is the Huang Pimo Art Gallery. The two buildings behind the Dacheng Hall form the Chongming Folk Custom Exhibition Hall. Other structures include the Wanren Palace Wall, Lingxing Gate, Dengyun Bridge, Jimen, Minghuan Shrine, Chongsheng Shrine, and Zunjing Pavilion — all well-preserved Ming dynasty architecture in the Shanghai area. In front of the gate stand five ginkgo trees about 18 meters tall, which are 377 years old. They complement two uniquely structured and spectacular stone-and-wood memorial archways, evoking a strong sense of antiquity and inspiring a profound feeling of “contemplating the vastness of time and space.” The Chongming County Museum is an important cultural tourism destination and patriotic education site on Chongming Island. The museum features three exhibitions: “The Formation and Development of Chongming Island,” “Museum Collections,” and “Natural History,” which systematically introduce the island’s long history and cultural heritage. The most distinctive parts of the Confucius Temple are the ancient boat exhibition room and the Chongming Folk Custom Exhibition Hall.

The “Chongming Island History and Ancient Boats” exhibition, arranged in the Dacheng Hall and the east and west side halls of the Confucius Temple, consists of a prelude hall and content from six units. The exhibition uses cultural relics, models, sculptures, sand tables, diorama boxes, images, advanced audiovisual techniques, and concise, easy-to-understand text to authentically reflect the formation of Chongming Island and the development and achievements in politics, economy, transportation, water conservancy, culture, and other aspects. Among the exhibits are two ancient boats from the Tang and Song dynasties — unique and invaluable cultural relics in the Shanghai area, considered the treasures of the museum. The Chongming sandboat, one of China’s four major types of boats, is also renowned both domestically and internationally for its unique functionality.

The “Chongming Folk Customs” exhibition, arranged in the Zunjing Pavilion and Chongsheng Shrine, recreates the hard work and simple life of the Chongming people through vivid and lifelike scenes of market towns, traditional family homes, farming, and weaving, giving visitors an immersive experience. These include lively depictions of commercial life on Chongming’s old streets from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as accurate reconstructions of the island’s typical traditional dwellings — the “Four-Hall-Head Residence Ditch” and their interior furnishings. Additionally, the farming and weaving section displays nearly 30 commonly used production tools of various functions. The Chongming County Museum also hosts permanent exhibitions such as the “Huang Pimo Art Gallery.” The museum warmly welcomes visitors from all walks of life.

Address: No. 696 Aoshan Road, Chengqiao Town, Chongming District, Shanghai

Type: Historical Site Museum / Historic Architecture

Recommended Visit Duration: 1–2 hours

Phone: 021-69696655

Official Website: http://www.cmbwg.com/

Opening Hours: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM (Closed on Mondays)

Ticket Price: 10 RMB

Transportation: Option 1: Take Tourist Bus Line 5 from Shanghai Stadium to Baoyang Road Pier; Option 2: Take a bus to Wusong, Baoyang Road, or Shidongkou Pier, then take a ferry to Chongming Nanmen Port. Walk 500 meters east along Nanmen Road.

Contact Number: (021) 69696503

Fax: (021) 69696501