Wujiang Confucius Temple

Wujiang Confucius Temple

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

Wujiang Confucius Temple, also known as Wujiang Kong Temple. The earliest constructed Confucius Temple in China is located in Qufu, Shandong. In the 16th year of Duke Ai of Lu (479 BC), the year after Confucius passed away, a temple was built on the site of his former residence in Qufu. From the Han Dynasty onward, successive emperors revered the Confucianism founded by Confucius and issued decrees to build Confucius Temples in the capital and various counties and prefectures. It is said that at their peak, there were more than 3,000 Confucius Temples nationwide. Over time, as the world changed dramatically, approximately 300 Confucius Temples remain today. In such a vast country as China, with only this many Confucius Temples left, it is indeed a great fortune that Wujiang, as a county-level city, has one of its own.

Wujiang Kong Temple is located within the campus of Wujiang Middle School. It was first built during the Shaoxing era of the Song Dynasty (1131–1162). By the Chunyou era (1241–1252), structures such as the Dacheng Hall, Chongsheng Shrine, Tonghao Dormitory, Qinxue Tower, and Denglong Bridge had been added. However, all were destroyed in warfare by the end of the Song Dynasty. From the first year of the Yuanshi era (1335) to the tenth year of the Zhizheng era (1350) during the Yuan Dynasty, the main hall was rebuilt, statues of sages were erected, and structures such as the Lingxing Gate, Yimen, and Jimen were constructed. From the second year of the Hongwu era (1369) to the 15th year of the Chongzhen era (1642) during the Ming Dynasty, the recumbent stele was engraved, the Guande Pavilion was built, the Pan Pond and stone bridge were constructed, and later the Wenchang Pavilion was added along with expansions to the Minghuan and Xiangxian Shrines. In the 10th year of the Xianfeng era (1860) during the Qing Dynasty, the temple was destroyed again in war. It was restored in the 4th year of the Tongzhi era (1865) with the Dacheng Hall being renovated, and in the 12th year (1873), the Chongsheng Shrine was rebuilt, forming the current layout.

Today, approaching Wujiang Kong Temple, one sees a four-pillar, three-bay Lingxing Gate standing before the Dacheng Hall. Passing through the gate, a stone-paved path extends forward. To the east of the path lies a garden with rippling pool water, lush flowers and trees, rugged rockeries, and a hexagonal pavilion with upturned eaves perched atop the rocks in the southeast corner. Goldfish swim and splash in the pond, creating ripples. To the west of the path is a lawn where green trees and rockeries are interspersed, creating a pleasant scene. At the end of the path stands the Dacheng Hall. This hall is of the hip-and-gable roof style, double-eaved, measuring 24.7 meters in width across five bays and 13.3 meters in depth across three bays. The outer eaves feature double-layered bracket sets. The central three bays of the front facade have floor-length windows, while the side bays have half-windows. Above the hall hangs a vertical black plaque with gold characters; the three large characters “Dacheng Hall” were inscribed by the renowned calligrapher Mr. Xu Muru. According to historical records, the central shrine of the Dacheng Hall honors the Great Sage Confucius, while the eastern and western sides enshrine the “Four Companions.” These “Four Companions” refer to Confucius’ student and “Restored Sage” Yan Yuan, Confucius’ grandson and “Narrator Sage” Zisi, Confucius’ student and “Revered Sage” Zengzi, and the philosopher, statesman, and educator of the Warring States period, “Second Sage” Mencius. Additionally, the Dacheng Hall also enshrines the “Twelve Philosophers” including Min Sun and Ran Yong, as well as other sages.

Exiting the Dacheng Hall, you’ll find another large lawn crisscrossed by gravel paths, with stone tables and benches tucked among the greenery. Following the path across the lawn leads to the Chongsheng Shrine. This shrine features a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof, measuring 26 meters in width across five bays and 11 meters in depth across three bays. The central three bays of the front facade have floor-length windows, while the side bays have walls with circular lattice windows. The vertical plaque above the shrine bearing the three characters “Chongsheng Shrine” was also inscribed by Mr. Xu Muru. The Chongsheng Shrine and Dacheng Hall face each other, presenting a magnificent sight. According to records, the Chongsheng Shrine enshrines the five generations of Confucius’ ancestors, as well as the fathers of the “Four Companions” and the “Six Masters of the Song.”

To the left of the Dacheng Hall and Chongsheng Shrine is the “Poems on Wujiang by Historical Figures” Stele Corridor, built in October 2001 by the Wujiang CPPCC. The corridor houses 42 poetry steles inscribed with verses by historical figures such as Zhang Han, Bai Juyi, Du Mu, Lu Guimeng, Chen Yaozuo, Su Shunqing, Wang Anshi… and Chen Qubing, Liu Yazi, who praised Wujiang throughout the ages. To the right is the “Confucius Analects Quotations” Stele Corridor, built in July 2002 by the Wujiang Municipal Government, featuring 43 stone tablets with selected quotes from the Analects.

To the west of the Dacheng Hall lies the site of the Wujiang County School. In the center of the site is a clear pond where individual goldfish can be clearly seen. The pond is surrounded by rugged, irregularly arranged rocks, and on a circular peninsula stands a golden pine tree with mottled bark and twisted branches. On the south side of the pond, the remains of a broken bridge made of Wukang stone emerge from the clear water. This is a relic from the Song Dynasty, the surviving stone bridge of the Pan Pond in the former Wujiang County School. On the north side of the pond, three large bluestone pillar bases lie in the water, remnants of the reconstruction of the Minglun Hall of the Wujiang County School in the second year of the Chongzhen era (1629). To the north of the site stands a stele pavilion named “Sitting in Reverence of Ancient Sages,” which houses a stone tablet recording the “Record of the Reconstruction of Wujiang County Temple School.” The tablet was inscribed in the first year of the Wanli era (1573) by Xu Shizeng, a Hanlin Academy probationary scholar, and erected together with local Wujiang officials such as Liang Lin and He Sui. Although the tablet is cracked, the text remains legible: “In today’s world, there is no commandery or county without a school, nor is there a school without a temple. Since the rise of the Song Dynasty until the Qingli era, schools across the country were still not fully established. Only Wujiang’s school originated during the Dazhong Xiangfu era (1008–1016), which was over thirty years earlier—truly a fortune...”. This shows that Wujiang’s county school was established more than 30 years earlier than the national standard of schools having temples during the Qingli era (1041–1048) of the Song Dynasty, proving that Wujiang was indeed a pioneer in cultural education.

On June 5, 2006, Wujiang Confucius Temple was announced as part of the sixth batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units.

Scenic Area Address: No. 172, Chuihong Road, Songling Town, Wujiang District, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province

Transportation: Within Wujiang District, take air-conditioned bus routes 94, 109, 113, 202, etc., and get off at the Wujiang Middle School stop.

Taihu New Town (Songling Subdistrict): The administrative area of Songling Subdistrict consists of the 10 neighborhood committees of Xitang, Beimen, Luxiang 3rd Village, Luxiang 2nd Village, Dongmen, Chengzhong, Shili, Xiyuanwei, Meishi, and Xiangtai from the original Songling Town, and the 5 village committees of Nanshe, Jiangxin, Nanliu, Second Fishery, and Qiangang, as well as the 9 neighborhood committees of Aolin Qinghua, Shuixiang, Xinyuan, Suhe, Hubin Huacheng, Longhe, Shuixiu, Changban, and Dongmei, and the 7 village committees of Changan, Ludang, Bulao, Liantuan, Gaoxin, Wumo, and Meili from the original Binhu Subdistrict. The office of Songling Subdistrict is located within the Hubin Huacheng neighborhood committee, at No. 96... More detailed information about Taihu New Town (Songling Subdistrict) ++

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units