Huangyan Confucius Temple

Huangyan Confucius Temple

Huangyan Confucius Temple is a cultural relics protection unit of Zhejiang Province.

Huangyan Confucius Temple (Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit)

Year: Qing Dynasty

Announcement date: December 12, 1989

Located in Chengguan Town, Huangyan District, Taizhou City. Formerly known as the Temple of Literature. Originally built in the sixth year of Yuanfeng during the Northern Song Dynasty (1083), it was rebuilt in the forty-seventh year of Kangxi (1708), and renovated during the Qianlong, Daoguang, and Tongzhi reigns. Existing buildings include the Dacheng Hall, East and West Side Halls, Jimen (Weapon Gate), Yi Pavilion, Kuixing Pavilion, totaling 37 structures. The Dacheng Hall has five bays. To the south of the hall are the East and West Side Halls, each with nine bays. The Jimen has five bays, with three-bay Changing Rooms and God Shrines on the east and west sides. Other features include the Pan Pond and Pan Bridge. The Dacheng Hall is the main building of the Confucius Temple. It has five bays with a total width of 21.4 meters and a total depth of 25.6 meters. The roof is a double-eaved hip-and-gable style covered with yellow glazed tiles. The central ridge is inscribed with the characters “天井文运” (Celestial Well Literary Fortune), and the east and west sides feature dragon-shaped ridge ornaments. The beam structure follows the raised-beam style. The hall contains 18 interior pillars and 12 eaves pillars, with column bases 0.50 meters high, carved with patterns of coiled dragons, entwined peony flowers, and bead motifs. The base disks are shallow basin-shaped, combining cloud-collar designs with geometric interlocking scroll patterns. The East and West Side Halls each have nine bays, a width of 27 meters, and a depth of 4.8 meters. They both have single-story roofs covered with small blue tiles and rolled tile ridge decorations. Each hall contains 36 various types of pillars with plain column bases. The ceilings inside the side rooms are flat along the north-south sides, while the center features square caisson ceilings. The east side hall connects to the God Shrine to the south and joins the Dacheng Hall to the north. The west side hall connects to the Yi Pavilion to the south and meets the Dacheng Hall to the north. The ridges of the God Shrine and Yi Pavilion are similar to those of the side halls, with horse-head gables on both sides. The Dacheng Gate, also called the Jimen, has five bays with a total width of 18 meters and a depth of 7.8 meters. It has a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof covered with grey cylindrical tiles, a relatively flat roof surface, upturned wing corners, and a rolled tile ridge decoration. There are 26 various pillars on the plan, all with plain column bases. The floor is paved with stone slabs. The main gate, consisting of one central and two side doors, is located between the middle and secondary pillars of the central bay. The Pan Pond is situated at the southern end of the Jimen, 9.3 meters from the main gate. The Pan Pond is semi-circular, with surrounding walls built from strip stones, and has a width of 22.7 meters. The Pan Bridge is a three-arch beam bridge running north-south, with a length of 12.1 meters and a width of 2.15 meters. Railings are installed on both sides, with balusters 0.60 meters high, their tops carved with upward and downward lotus motifs. The ends of the railings are fitted with drum-shaped stones. The Kuixing Pavilion is located on the eastern axis of the Confucius Temple, 40 meters from the Dacheng Gate. It was first built in the late Ming or early Qing period. The pavilion has three bays with a total width of 10.2 meters and a depth of 11 meters. It consists of two stories with a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof covered with yellow glazed tiles. The central ridge is a rolled tile ridge decoration, with dragon ornaments on both sides. During renovation in 1995, the inscription “道光十三年（1833）重修” (Renovated in the 13th Year of Daoguang (1833)) was found brush-written on the ridge beam.

Source: Zhejiang Cultural Relics Website

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units