Chongde Confucius Temple

Chongde Confucius Temple

Also known as the Temple of Literature, Chongde Confucius Temple is located in Zhongshan Park, Chongfu Town. It consists of the Dacheng Hall, Lingxing Gate, Wenbi Xun Tower, Pan Pond, and other structures. Chongfu Town was the county seat of the former Chongde County. The Confucius Temple served as the main building of the Chongde County School. Originally built in the third year of the Yuanfeng era during the Song Dynasty (1080), the existing Dacheng Hall was reconstructed in the fourth year of the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty (1865). It has five bays, with a width of 20.6 meters and a depth of 14.9 meters. Built on level ground, the column base stones of the rear interior columns are square-shaped with added drum pedestals, and the columns use a cladding method. The front interior columns have lotus-petal-shaped base stones with drum pedestals and do not use the cladding method, as they are made from reused Ming Dynasty materials. The eaves columns are made of square granite blocks. The roof is of the hip-and-gable style, with upturned eaves and gables, featuring board tiles—though the roof ridges and ornaments are no longer present.

In addition to the main hall, Chongde Confucius Temple also retains relatively complete auxiliary buildings. Existing historic structures include the Lingxing Gate directly south of the main hall, a pair of stone lions carved in the 17th year of the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty on either side of the Lingxing Gate, the Pan Pond dug during the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty to the south, and the Wenbi Xun Tower rebuilt in the third year of the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty to the east. The tower symbolically represents a brush and an inkstone—the traditional tools of scholars—thus vividly preserving the layout of a classic Confucius Temple. In 1981, the Tongxiang County People’s Government designated the Dacheng Hall and Wenbi Xun Tower of Chongde Confucius Temple as county-level cultural heritage protection units. In 2005, the Chongfu Town People’s Government carried out renovations on the temple, restoring and rebuilding historical structures such as the Dacheng Gate and the Ten-Thousand-Ren-High Palace Wall.

Chongfu Town: Overview of Chongfu Town — Chongfu Town is a vibrant central town in Zhejiang Province that exemplifies the spirit of reform and opening-up. It is the largest town in Tongxiang City and a key hub for industry and trade. Geographic coordinates: 12 degrees 36 minutes east longitude, 30 degrees 32 minutes north latitude. It is situated in the central part of the Hangjiahu Plain, in the southwestern region of Tongxiang City. The town boasts excellent location advantages: it is 145 kilometers east of Shanghai, 110 kilometers north of Suzhou, and 45 kilometers west of Hangzhou. Its water and land transportation are highly convenient. The Shanghai-Hangzhou Expressway runs south of the town, with the interchange just 3 kilometers away. National Highway 320, Provincial Highway Hudewei, and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal all traverse the area. The town covers an area of 100.14 squa… For more detailed information about Chongfu Town ++

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units