Qingjiang Confucius Temple

Qingjiang Confucius Temple

Qingjiang Confucius Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangsu Province.

The Confucius Temple is a memorial and sacrificial architectural complex dedicated to Confucius, China’s great thinker, statesman, and educator. Throughout dynastic changes in Chinese history, it has also been referred to as the Confucius Temple, the Temple of the Master, the Temple of the First Teacher, or the Temple of the First Sage — though “Confucius Temple” is the most commonly used name. It served as a center for Confucian activities.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Huai’an, as a hub connecting nine provinces, experienced unprecedented economic and social development. In tandem, its educational and cultural systems flourished significantly, fostering an environment that revered teachers and valued scholarship. The evolution of the Qingjiang Confucius Temple reflects Huai’an’s longstanding emphasis on education.

In the ninth year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1530), Shao Jingji, an official from the Ministry of Works, built Chongjing Hall to the left of the Canal Office in Qingjiangpu. In the 21st year of Jiajing (1542), Ye Xuan, also an official from the Ministry of Works, constructed Wenjing Hall, Shengxuan, and examination rooms for students, and allocated land for temple ceremonies. In the sixth year of the Longqing reign (1572), Gong Tingbi, an official from the Ministry of Works, renovated the Confucius Temple. In the fifth year of the Wanli reign (1577), Zhang Yu, another Ministry of Works official, added the Daguan Tower. In the 34th year of Wanli (1606), Shen Xiaozheng, a Ministry of Works Langzhong, and Wei Yingshi, an official, built the Wenchang Tower and the Bell Tower. In the 42nd year of Wanli (1614), Wang Li, an official, rebuilt the Hall of the First Teacher and the Hall of Virtue. In the sixth year of the Tianqi reign (1626), Gu Yuanjing, an official, constructed the Four Studies Rooms (investigating things, extending knowledge, rectifying the heart, and sincerity) and the Archway of “Literature Exists Here.” That same year, five taels of silver were allocated from land rent for repairs, along with six taels for sacrificial ceremonies. Records of these constructions were inscribed on stelae by the Construction Office. In the sixth year of the Chongzhen reign (1633), Zhao Guangbian, an official from the Ministry of Works, carried out further renovations.

In the sixth year of the Shunzhi reign (1649), Zhang Anmao, an official from the Canal Office of the Ministry of Works, oversaw renovations, with a stele erected to mark the event. In the 18th year of Shunzhi (1661), Cai Shiying, the Canal Governor, ordered Kong Zhenlai, the Director of Ship Administration, to build side halls and study rooms (at the time, spring and autumn sacrificial ceremonies were presided over by the Director of Ship Administration, while the River Governor performed rituals from afar, roughly following the ceremonies of school temples). In the 16th year of the Kangxi reign (1677), Jin Fu, the Chief River Administrator, rebuilt the Hall of the First Teacher, the Literary Gathering Hall, and the side halls on both east and west sides, relocated the Wenchang Hall to the left of the Literary Gathering Hall, and completed the surrounding walls of the Ji Gate within a year. In the 23rd year of Kangxi (1684), Chang En, the Huai-Xu Dao official, rebuilt the Hall of Virtue to the right of the Literary Gathering Hall, constructed the Lingxing Gate and the Pan Pond, and planted peach and willow trees. In the 37th year of Kangxi (1698), Yu Chenglong, the Chief River Administrator, petitioned to officially designate the site as the Confucius Temple (at the time, one instructor from Shanyang was stationed here, hence it was also called the Shanyang School Temple). In the third year of the Yongzheng reign (1725), Bai Zhongshan, the Local River Official, built the Jin Memorial Hall to the right of the Ji Gate, and a changing room to the left. These structures were renovated again in the 24th year of the Qianlong reign (1759).

In the 26th year of Qianlong (1761), the site was converted into the Qinghe County School Temple (at the time, Qingjiangpu was reassigned to Qinghe County; the county records referred to it as the Qingjiang School Temple). In the 42nd year of Qianlong (1777), Sa Zai, the River Governor, oversaw renovations. In the third year of the Daoguang reign (1823), Li Shixu, the River Governor, led his subordinates and local residents in rebuilding the Qinghe County School Temple, reorienting it due south. The project was completed in two years.

In the 10th year of the Xianfeng reign (1860), the Great Achievement Hall was destroyed by rebels. In the fourth year of the Tongzhi reign (1865), Wu Tang, the Canal Governor, reconstructed the Great Achievement Hall and extensively repaired the former site.

In the 11th year of the Tongzhi reign (1872), Wen Bin, the Canal Governor, built the Five-Bay Zunjing Pavilion and ten bays of study rooms on either side. The new temple structure featured a nine-bay Great Achievement Hall with dragon-back fish-tail ridges, upturned eaves, and yellow-glazed tiles. The high platform was three feet five inches tall all around, with twenty-four pillars, and a moon terrace in front enclosed by stone railings. A central pathway led to the hall. To the left were the East Side Halls, and to the right, the West Side Halls, totaling fourteen bays. The Three-Bay Great Achievement Gate had vermilion paint and gilded fittings, with three gates — people usually entered through the left gate. The Divine Storage was located to the left of the Great Achievement Gate; the Incense Burner to the right. The Memorial Hall of Distinguished Officials was to the east of the Great Achievement Gate, and the Memorial Hall of Local Worthies to the west. The Changing Room was to the left outside the Great Achievement Gate, and the Loyalty and Filial Piety Memorial Hall to the right. The Pan Pond lay in front of the Great Achievement Gate, with three surrounding bridges atop it. To the south was the Lingxing Gate. The Hall of Enlightenment was located behind the Great Achievement Hall. The East Study Room was to the left in front of the Hall of Enlightenment, and the West Study Room to the right. The Hall of Venerating the Sage was behind the Hall of Enlightenment, also featuring a surrounding platform with twelve pairs of couplets on the east and west sides. Behind it stood the Zunjing Pavilion.

To the west of the Lingxing Gate was the Li Memorial Hall. According to the 1852 Qinghe County Annals: “Once the School Temple was completed, Li Shixu (Li Shixu) had already passed away. This hall was built to commemorate his contributions.” The outer Pan Pond lay in front of the Lingxing Gate, with stone railings along both the eastern and western sides. To the south was a screen wall, with archways on both sides, and fences beyond the archways. The Kuixing Pavilion was located at the southeastern corner of the School Temple, enclosed by walls attached to the temple grounds. The Instructor’s Residence was to the east of the Hall of Enlightenment. The main gate of the Confucian School faced south, just left of the Lingxing Gate. The Lecturer’s Residence was to the west of the Hall of Enlightenment, with a small gate exiting to the west.

The Scholarly Fields of the Qinghe School Temple

In the sixth year of the Longqing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1572), Gong Tingbi, an official from the Ministry of Works, renovated the Qingjiang Confucius Temple. By the 26th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, it had been converted into the Qinghe County School Temple. The Qinghe School Temple had both old and new scholarly fields, located in areas such as Sanligou.

Scholarly fields refer to the lands used by academies and official schools at the prefectural and county levels. They served as the economic foundation for school education during China’s feudal society. The system of establishing scholarly fields to support schools originated in the Song Dynasty and continued until the Qing Dynasty.

The old scholarly fields of the Qinghe School Temple were located in Sanligou, comprising 64 hectares and 80 mu of grass marsh. In the 38th year of the Jiajing reign (1559), Guo Lin, the Magistrate of Qinghe, recorded by Zhong Ruxiao: “It has been over sixty years since the establishment of scholarly fields in Qinghe. By the late Jiajing period, literary talent flourished. Ding Shikui (Ding Shiměi), who achieved top honors in the imperial examinations in the year of Jiwei, inspired Magistrate Guo to take action. That year, a section of grass marsh was designated as a scholarly field. During the Longqing and Wanli reigns, parts of the scholarly fields were eroded. For nearly thirty years, little was done. However, divine intervention from the river and auspicious lands donated by local communities restored them to their former state. Yet residents encroached upon these lands for personal gain. Despite repeated petitions for restoration, powerful locals obstructed the efforts. When Yang Changchun became magistrate of the county, he lamented that although the fields were damaged, county records remained. He personally surveyed the land, consulted historical texts, and planned its recovery. He also oversaw the restoration of the temple buildings on this site. Located in Sanligou, the field spanned three li in width and four li in length, totaling 64 hectares and 80 mu. Though wild and difficult to cultivate, it could yield a certain amount of grass rent annually. The amount of rent depended on water levels and the growth of the grass. Although the yield did not increase significantly, the benefits to the school were substantial. This account is specially recorded here, in the first month of the first year of the Tianqi reign (1621).” (See the 1876 Qinghe County Annals)

Another set of old scholarly fields was located in Dongyanshe, Shanyang County, covering 20 hectares. In the 31st year of the Kangxi reign (1692), Jin Fu, the River Governor, donated two-thirds of the land for renovating the Dragon Pavilion and funding the autumn sacrifices at the Confucius Temple. In the middle of the Jiaqing reign, Wu Jing, the River Governor, allocated the land to Puying Temple. In the sixth year of the Daoguang reign (1826), Yan [illegible character], the River Governor, proposed reallocating the land but the plan was not realized.

Another old scholarly field was located at Mamajiao Bridge in Jiuxian County, covering over 70 mu. In the fifth year of the Yongzheng reign (1727), Feng Weitong, the Instructor, and Wu Song, the Lecturer, defined its boundaries to the east and west as farmland, and to the south as an official ditch. Another field was located at Baojia River, spanning the towns of Yugou and Jincheng, about 40 zhang in length. After evaluation in the 42nd year of Qianlong (1777), Hu Tang, the Magistrate, surveyed 42 hectares, 16 mu, and 2.9 fen in the 23rd year of Jiaqing (1818). In the 28th year of Daoguang (1848), Liu Yuchang, the Magistrate, resurveyed the area from the head of Baojia River to Qikong Bridge and the border of two hills in Jincheng, approximately 12 li in length. The total land amounted to 725 hectares and over 50 mu, 5 hectares and 40 mu more than the original quota. The land remained cultivated by tenants, but legal disputes remained unresolved. After a cleanup in the second year of the Tongzhi reign, half of these scholarly fields were allocated as funding land for academies.

The new scholarly fields included 90 hectares at the new shores of Hongze Lake, and 3 hectares, 27 mu, and 2.4 fen at the Lake Shore Waste Paper Bureau. These two parcels were recorded as per case files but did not match the rental registry due to land loss or damage. Other fields included 9 hectares, 98 mu near the Tianran Diversion River; 6 hectares, 84 mu near the Zhonghe Qingxun Phoenix Mouth; and 65 mu of residential land near the School Temple. All were allocated in the third year of the Tongzhi reign.

Confucius (551–479 BCE), whose given name was Qiu and courtesy name Zhongni, was a native of Zouyi, Changping, in the State of Lu (present-day southeastern Qufu, Shandong Province). He was a thinker, educator, and statesman of the late Spring and Autumn Period, the founder of Confucianism, and one of the most influential figures in Chinese history and culture. His impact extends globally, especially across Southeast Asia, making him a renowned cultural figure worldwide.

Confucius’ ancestors were the younger half-brother of King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty, Weizi Qi, who inherited the Shang ancestral sacrifices and was enfeoffed in the State of Song. His sixth-generation ancestor, Kong Fuzi, was the first to adopt the surname Kong. His fifth-generation ancestor, Mugongfu, fled to the State of Lu during turmoil and eventually settled in Zouyi, Lu... More details on Confucius ++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Jiangsu Province