Shouxian Confucius Temple

Shouxian Confucius Temple

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

In the middle section of West Ancient Street in the old city, there stands a grand ancient architectural complex facing north to south. This is the Confucius Temple, commonly known as "Huangxue." The Confucius Temple is a place dedicated to the worship of Confucius. According to the *Shouzhou Annals*, this structure was first built during the Tang Dynasty and relocated here from the southeastern corner of the city during the Yuan Dynasty. Covering an area of 20,000 square meters, it includes thirty various structures such as archways, pavilions, and halls.

Despite enduring many trials, the Confucius Temple has seen some reduction in its overall area, but major structures such as the Dacheng Hall and Minglun Hall remain largely intact to this day. Especially in recent years, thanks to national funding for restoration, the temple has taken on a renewed appearance and now welcomes visitors from all over. The first courtyard is preceded by three memorial archways in the style of a paifang: "Panhong," "Kuadu," and "Yanggao," featuring traditional upturned eaves and ornate brackets that exude an ancient charm. The second courtyard features a crescent-shaped "Pan Pond," often referred to as the "Number One Scholar Bridge." People love to lean on the railings, cross the bridge, and gaze at the clear water and swimming fish. On the north side of the pond, along the central axis, is the "Jimen" (Pike Gate), with the eastern side chamber serving as the Shrine of Meritorious Officials and the western side chamber as the Shrine of Local Sages. Passing through the Jimen leads into the third courtyard, where the main hall of the Confucius Temple—the Dacheng Hall—is located. The hall is five bays wide and three bays deep, serving as the principal structure of Huangxue. It is majestic and imposing in scale. Flanking the Dacheng Hall are side halls used for placing memorial tablets of Confucian followers. In front of the hall is a one-meter-high stone platform surrounded by carved stone railings. To the left and right of the platform stand two towering ginkgo trees, adding a solemn touch to the hall. Entering through the "Waitang" (Outer Hall) and "Rushi" (Inner Chamber) gates on either side of the hall leads into the fourth and largest courtyard, with the Minglun Hall situated at the very back. It currently houses the county cultural center.

Historical Evolution of Shouxian Confucius Temple

The Confucius Temple has many names, such as "Ruxue" (Confucian School), "Xueguan" (Academic Office), "Huangxue" (Imperial School), and "Shengmiao" (Sacred Temple). It is now commonly referred to as "Huangxue" by the public. During feudal times, it was called the "Xueguan" or "Shengmiao." The current site of the Shouxian Library was once an affiliated structure of the Confucius Temple—the "Wenchang Palace."

According to historical records: during the Tang and Song Dynasties, the Shouzhou Confucius Temple was located in the southeastern corner of the city, though its exact address is now untraceable. It was moved to its present location during the Yuan Dynasty (i.e., Xiqinghuai Fang). From the first year of the Taiding era of the Yuan Dynasty (1324 AD, 680 years ago) to the sixth year of the Guangxu era of the Qing Dynasty (1880 AD, 122 years ago), over the course of 500 years, the temple underwent 42 large and small renovations and expansions, eventually taking on its current scale.

During the Republican era, some of these structures were damaged. For over ten years of the Republic and until the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, the site hosted institutions such as the "Blind and Deaf School," "Workers' School," and "Elementary Normal School." The "Wenchang Palace," "Jimen," "Dacheng Hall," and the two side halls (eastern and western corridors) were all used as classrooms or dormitories. In the early years after liberation, the site was also used as a grain warehouse.

After liberation, with the care, attention, and support of the Party and government at all levels, multiple rounds of funding were allocated for renovation and maintenance. However, during the "Cultural Revolution," the site suffered severe damage, and many affiliated buildings were lost. The surviving structures are introduced as follows:

Dacheng Hall: The hall has five bays. Original inscriptions record that it was renovated in the seventh year of the Tianqi era of the Ming Dynasty (1627 AD, 377 years ago) (though the exact construction date is unknown). In June of the second year of the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty (1737 AD, 267 years ago), the Dacheng Hall collapsed, and it was rebuilt by Zhao Zongling, the magistrate of Shouzhou at the time. A major renovation was carried out in the fifth year of the Jiaqing era, and in the seventeenth year of the Jiaqing era (1812 AD, 190 years ago), the hall was further expanded. The platform was enlarged, wooden beams and pillars were replaced, and the rafter height was raised, resulting in its current scale. Additionally, four side rooms (two on each east and west side) were added.

Side Halls (i.e., the eastern and western corridors): Originally, there were ten rooms on each side, totaling twenty. During the seventeenth year of the Jiaqing era renovation, one room was added to each side, making it eleven rooms per side, totaling twenty-two.

Jimen (Pike Gate): Five bays. This gate was established in the ninth year of the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty (1530 AD, 473 years ago) when Confucius was honored as the "Supreme Sage and First Teacher," hence the name "Jimen." It has undergone multiple repairs and alterations since. The current Jimen is actually a Qing Dynasty structure. On either side of the Jimen are three rooms: the eastern side is called the "Shrine of Meritorious Officials," and the western side is called the "Shrine of Local Sages." In the past, these shrines housed memorial tablets of historical figures for veneration, such as Sun Shu'ao, the Chu governor (east side), Shi Miao, the Shouchun governor of the Han Dynasty, Liu Renzan, the Qinghuai military governor of the Southern Tang, and Li Zhaoluo, the Qing magistrate (east side), as well as Dong Zhaonan, a Tang Dynasty filial son (west side). These shrines are now Qing Dynasty structures.

Pan Pond (commonly called the Number One Scholar Bridge): This is the crescent-shaped pond in front of the Jimen. Originally, the pond was located outside the "Lingxing Gate." It was built in the forty-seventh year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1619 AD, 385 years ago) during a surge in Confucius Temple renovations led by Zhuo Si Jia Daxing. By the seventeenth year of the Jiaqing era (1812 AD, 190 years ago), local gentry such as Sun Keren and Sun Kequan donated funds to renovate the Confucius Temple and deemed the pond’s location outside the Lingxing Gate inappropriate, so it was moved inside the Lingxing Gate (the current pond is a Qing Dynasty structure).

Lingxing Gate (the original construction date is unknown): Historical records indicate it was originally made of wood. In the third year of the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty (1524 AD, 480 years ago), Magistrate He Donglai deemed wood prone to decay and replaced it with stone. In the twenty-first year of the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty (1756 AD, 248 years ago), one gate was added to each side of the Lingxing Gate: the eastern gate was called "Jinsheng," and the western gate was called "Yuzhen." Multiple subsequent repairs were carried out (note: the current gate is a recent reconstruction; the original stone gate was destroyed by Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution).

Pan Gong Fang (Panhong Archway): This refers to the three archways (gates) currently opposite the main street (commonly misidentified as the Wuchaomen Gate). Originally, this was just a large screen wall. In the seventeenth year of the Jiaqing era, local gentry such as Sun Keren renovated the Confucius Temple, turning the screen wall into an archway and adding one archway to each east and west side: the eastern one was called "Kuaiguang," and the western one was called "Yanggao." Later, one more archway was added to each of the horizontal east and west sides: the eastern one was called "Depei Tiandi," and the western one was called "Daoguan Gujin." This resulted in five archways. (During the later stages of the Cultural Revolution, the eastern and western archways were demolished to widen West Street). Only the three opposite archways remain today.

Minglun Hall (original construction date unknown): Originally, it had only three bays. In the twenty-eighth year of the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty (1548 AD, 456 years ago), it was renovated and expanded to five bays, and no further expansions have been made since. (The current Minglun Hall still retains the architectural style of the Ming Dynasty).

Fujiao Fang (Teaching Promotion Hall): This is the three-bay structure located behind the Dacheng Hall and in front of the Minglun Hall. Originally named "Guangda Gaoming Fang," it was renamed "Fujiao Fang" by Magistrate Li Yongyuan in the twenty-eighth year of the Jiajing era. It collapsed before the sixth year of the Guangxu era of the Qing Dynasty (1881 AD, 123 years ago). The current Fujiao Fang is a recent reconstruction. Originally, there were two gates on either side of the Fujiao Fang: the eastern one was called "Shengtang," and the western one was called "Rushi" (both no longer exist).

Kuiguang Ge (currently called "Kuixing Tower"): The predecessor of Kuiguang Ge was a structure called "Qingyun Tower," built in the twenty-sixth year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1578 AD, 426 years ago) by Liu Jiying and others from Shouzhou. It later collapsed. In the forty-second year of the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty (1777 AD, 225 years ago), "Kuiguang Ge" was rebuilt on the original site of "Qingyun Tower." In the first year of the Daoguang era (1821 AD, 183 years ago), it underwent another round of maintenance. After liberation, the People's Government allocated funds for multiple renovations, allowing it to be preserved to this day.

Wenchang Palace (currently the site of the county library) (the original Wenchang Palace no longer exists). Wenchang Palace was a major affiliated structure of the Confucius Temple. In the fifty-first year of the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty (1712 AD, 291 years ago), a tutor named Ding Jiruo established a school here called "Yixue." It was later renamed "Kuishen Ci." In the forty-second year of the Qianlong era (1777 AD, 225 years ago), Wenchang Palace was renamed "Kuishen Ci." The actual architecture of "Wenchang Palace" is also Qing Dynasty construction.

The Confucius Temple had many other affiliated structures. The original Shouzhou Confucius Temple was grand in scale and majestic in appearance. Due to destruction in the old society and later during the "Cultural Revolution," many structures have been lost, such as the original "Jin Gong Fang," "Five Archways" (with the eastern and western archways demolished for street expansion), the front "Large Screen Wall," "Grand Archway," "Wenbi Pavilion," "Upper and Lower Horse Stele," "Four Turtle-Carrying Stelae," as well as the "Jie Xiao Fang" (Filial Piety Archway) and "Jie Xiao Ci" (Filial Piety Shrine) in the current theater courtyard, and the "Chongsheng Ci" (Ancestral Sage Shrine) east of the Minglun Hall, among others.

The above materials were compiled based on historical research conducted by Mr. Situ Yue upon the directive of former Provincial Party Secretary Li Baohua during his visit to the site in the later stages of the "Four Cleanups Movement." Due to the severe damage during the Cultural Revolution, this document provides a brief reorganization and introduction of the surviving structures and recently restored sections, aiming to help the public better understand the history of the Confucius Temple. Readers are welcome to offer corrections if any inaccuracies are found.

Protected Area: East to Kuixing Tower, South to 10 meters south of the Three Arches, West to the east wall of the former Experimental Primary School, North to 5 meters outside the Minglun Hall.

Construction Control Zone: East to Dawei Lane, South to Shaguo Lane, West to the North-South Small Long Street, North to the alley in front of the former Huangxue Grain Station.

Confucius (551–479 BC), surname Qiu, given name Zhongni, was a native of Zouyi, Changping, Lu State (present-day southeastern Qufu, Shandong). He was a thinker, 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 Weizi Qi, the half-brother of King Zhou of Shang in the late Yin Dynasty. Qi inherited the Shang lineage and was enfeoffed in 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 Lu for refuge and later settled in Zou, Lu... More detailed information about Confucius ++

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units