The Dacheng Hall of the Confucius Temple

The Dacheng Hall of the Confucius Temple

The Dacheng Hall of the Confucius Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Dacheng Hall is located to the north of the Dacheng Gate and serves as the main hall for worshipping Confucius. Originally built in the first year of the Jingyou era during the Northern Song Dynasty (1034 AD), the Dacheng Hall stands 16.5 meters high, 28.4 meters long, and 22 meters wide, with a foundation base that is 1.5 meters high. In the center of the hall hangs the largest portrait of Confucius in China. Below it is a wooden shrine, which mainly enshrines the plaque “The Exalted Sage and First Teacher, Duke Wenxuan of Great Achievement,” with accompanying figures such as Mencius, Zeng Shen, Yan Hui, and Kong Ji. The hall also features calligraphy inscribed with Confucian teachings. The central roof beam is adorned with a large, exquisitely carved dragon, measuring 3.18 meters in length and weighing 2.5 tons. The surrounding walls of the Dacheng Hall are inlaid with murals from the "Illustrated Life of Confucius." These murals are crafted using precious materials such as jade, chicken-blood stone, Shoushan stone, jadeite, gold, jewelry, and mother-of-pearl in relief inlay. Each mural is 2.5 meters high and 1.3 meters wide, totaling 38 pieces, depicting 408 figures along with pavilions, towers, and historical stories. The carvings are incredibly lifelike and vividly portray Confucius as the “Exemplary Teacher for All Ages.”

The "Stone Tablet of Confucius Inquiring About Rites," the "Collected Inscriptions of the Confucius Temple in Jiqing," the "Stone Tablet of the Title Bestowed Upon the Holy Consort," and the "Stone Tablet of the Title Bestowed Upon the Four Secondary Sages." Among them, the "Stone Tablet of Confucius Inquiring About Rites" is the most famous and is considered one of the “Treasures of the Temple.” It was carved in the second year of the Yongming era during the Southern Qi Dynasty (484 AD) and records how, at the end of the Spring and Autumn period when the slave system was declining, Confucius, out of reverence for the rites and music system of the Zhou Dynasty and with the aspiration of revitalizing the nation and seeking virtuous talents, traveled from his hometown of Qufu to Luoyang, the capital of the Zhou Dynasty, in the 24th year of the reign of Duke Zhao of Lu (518 BC), to study the systems of laws and regulations and seek ways to consolidate the rule of the slave-owning aristocracy in the State of Lu.

Address: Zhonghua Road, along the northern bank of the Qinhuai River, Qinhuai District, Nanjing City (near Gongyuan Street)

Type: Historical Architecture

Recommended Visiting Time: 1–2 hours

Phone: 025-86628639

Opening Hours:

9:00–21:00

Confucius Temple Community: Located within the Confucius Temple tourist scenic area, the Confucius Temple Community covers an area of 0.38 square kilometers, with 2,221 households and a total population of 6,174. The area includes attractions such as the Zhanyuan Garden, Juxing Pavilion, Nanjing Qifangge Halal Restaurant, Confucius Temple specialty snacks, lantern displays along the route from Zhonghua Gate to Dongshuiguan, and the Qinhuai River scenic belt. There are also four educational institutions in the area: Confucius Temple Primary School, Zhonghua Middle School, Finance and Economics School, and the Aerospace Cadre Management College. Nearby institutions and venues include the Zhuangyuanlou Hotel, Jiankang Hotel, Shanghai Grand Hotel, City Inn, the Third Fire Brigade, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Memorial Hall, Weihao Electric, and the Telecom Building... More detailed information about the Confucius Temple Community ++