Jingde Confucius Temple

Jingde Confucius Temple

Jingde Confucius Temple is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Like other Confucius Temples, Jingde Confucius Temple is also known as the Holy Temple, Temple of Confucius, or Temple of the Sage. It served as a site for honoring and worshiping Confucius in Jingde County from the Ming and Qing dynasties onward, as well as an educational venue that revered ancient sages, emphasized Confucian teachings, promoted moral education, and provided space for students to study—hence it was also called the Academy. Located in the center of the county town, to the left of the county government office, its location signified its prominence and authority. In June 1989, Jingde Confucius Temple was designated as a Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the Anhui Provincial Government. The 1804 *Jingde County Annals* state: “It is recorded that in the fourth year of the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty (630), an imperial edict mandated that all prefectures and counties establish Confucius Temples, though at that time the county had not yet been established. After the founding of the county during the Baoying era, there is no record of any academic system. The county’s academy was first established in the first year of the Chongning era of the Song Dynasty (1102).” The architectural complex of Jingde Confucius Temple endured repeated warfare from the Southern Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties through the 14th year of the Shunzhi era of the Qing Dynasty (1657), undergoing 24 major renovations and 5 reconstructions. The existing structures were built in the second year of the Shunzhi era (1645). Most renovation costs were covered by private donations. The main hall, Dacheng Hall, was initially named the Temple of Duke Wenxuan and was first renamed Dacheng Hall in the fourth year of the Chongning era (1105). It measures 17 meters in both length and width, covering an area of 289 square meters. The base is 3.33 meters high, and the hall itself rises 18.66 meters, featuring a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof.

The roof is adorned with coiling dragons on a bright back ridge, with two tiers each having four hanging ridges, and a flaming pearl embedded at the center of the main ridge. Both ends of the main ridge and the corners of the hanging ridges feature fish-tailed dragons. The structure uses a post-and-lintel wooden frame. The hall is surrounded by stone pillars, topped with ceramic tiles, and features exquisitely carved windows and eaves that soar upward, giving it a majestic presence. Four wooden pillars inside the hall stretch from floor to ceiling, symbolizing a connection to the heavens. The caisson ceiling inside the hall is painted in two tiers, depicting images such as phoenixes, roosters, cranes, dragons, elephants, deer, qilins, and peony flowers, along with the visages of the Eight Immortals. The most prominent figure is the Star of Literature. Across the numerous colorful murals—large and small—the vivid imagery and clear symbolism express the hope that the descendants of Jingde would be blessed with literary brilliance and great achievements. The hall is enclosed by red walls, with a screen wall opposite the entrance. The gateway is the Dacheng Archway, leading to a crescent-shaped pond known as the Companion Pond or Leaping Dragon Pond. A stone arch bridge, called the Pan Bridge or Number One Scholar Bridge, spans the pond. Unfortunately, the screen wall and Dacheng Archway have been repurposed. To the east of the pond is the Gate of Rites, and to the west is the Gate of Righteousness. Behind the pond are central structures: the Ji Gate, the Shrine of Local Worthies to the left, and the Shrine of Eminent Officials to the right. Further inside, the central area is the Dan Chi (red steps) used for worship, flanked by the East and West Side Halls where memorial tablets of ancient sages and Confucian scholars are displayed. On either side of Dacheng Hall are the East and West Study Rooms.

Near the Academy, there were originally two other structures: one was the Zunjing Pavilion, the construction date of which is unknown. On June 16 of the eighth year of the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty (1743), it was rebuilt east of the Minglun Hall after being destroyed, and dedicated to the God of Literature, Wenchang Dijun. Covering 104 square meters across three stories, the Zunjing Pavilion featured multiple angles, double eaves, soaring height, delicate window lattices and railings, elegant design, painted beams and carved rafters, and brilliant colors. Positioned to embrace the Academy, it stood protectively to the left, as if piercing the heart of the sky and probing the moon’s crater—an impressive sight. The other was the Minglun Hall, a venue for lectures, located to the left of the Academy and built at the same time as Dacheng Hall, with a rather large scale. Unfortunately, both structures have been lost. Jingde Confucius Temple has endured many trials, suffering destruction and undergoing restoration multiple times, surviving calamities.

The entire Confucius Temple complex covers 4,700 square meters. The existing structures include Dacheng Hall, the East and West Side Halls, the Ji Gate, the Shrine of Eminent Officials, the Shrine of Local Worthies, the Companion Pond, the Pan Bridge, and the Study Rooms. It is one of the more completely preserved ancient Confucius Temple complexes in Anhui Province and is now a Provincial Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit. In recent years, the Anhui Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau and the county government have allocated funds multiple times for the temple’s restoration. Moreover, Jingde County has turned the Confucius Temple into a venue for displaying local cultural relics and a hub for the county’s artistic heritage. It houses the “Exhibition Hall of Zhou Erfu’s Works,” showcasing over 4,000 pieces of literature and materials donated by Mr. Zhou Erfu, a renowned writer and calligrapher from Jingde. Dacheng Hall embodies the pinnacle of cultural and architectural artistry, encapsulating the wisdom of the ancients, which you can fully appreciate. It also preserves the great works of today’s talented individuals in Jingde, as well as ordinary people’s artistic insights, all open for your appreciation and reflection.

Protected area: 20 meters beyond the outer wall foundation on the east, south, west, and north sides.

Construction control zone: Beyond the protected area, extending to the west side of Yingkan Road to the east, and 40 meters to the west, south, and north.

Exact location: Central area of Jingde County

Confucius (551–479 BCE), whose given name was Qiu and courtesy name Zhongni, was a native of Zouyi (present-day southeastern Qufu, Shandong), Changping District, the State of Lu. He was a philosopher, educator, and statesman in the late Spring and Autumn period, the founder of Confucianism, and one of the most influential figures in Chinese history and culture. He also had a profound impact worldwide, especially in Southeast Asian countries, and is recognized as a world cultural celebrity.

Confucius’s ancestors were the younger half-brother of King Zhou of Shang, Weizi Qi, who upheld the sacrifices of the Shang dynasty and was enfeoffed in the State of Song. His sixth-generation ancestor, Kong Fu Jia, was the first to adopt the surname Kong. His fifth-generation ancestor, Mu Jin Fu, fled to the State of Lu to escape turmoil and later settled in Zou, Lu... More detailed information about Confucius ++

Further reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units