Pingnan Confucius Temple

Pingnan Confucius Temple

Pingnan Confucius Temple is a cultural heritage site protected by Fujian Province.

Pingnan Confucius Temple is located to the right of the county government office, backed by Santai Mountain to the north, facing Wenbi Peak, adjacent to Shuangxi Primary School to the east and Pingnan County Middle School to the west. It is about 20 meters wide, 75 meters deep, covering an area of approximately 1,500 square meters. The temple complex consists of seven courtyards along a central axis, in sequence: the screen wall, Lingxing Gate, Pan Pond, Jimen, Dacheng Hall, Chongsheng Shrine, Minglun Hall, and Zunjing Pavilion.

Right in front of the temple is the screen wall inscribed with the words “Ten Thousand Ren High Palace Wall”; on either side of the street are the ceremonial archways of Limen (Gate of Rites) and Yilu (Path of Righteousness), with a Horse Dismounting Stele erected outside the archways.

Opposite the screen wall is the Lingxing Gate, the main entrance to the Confucius Temple. Originally, there were two stone archways on each side: Xingxian (Promoting the Virtuous) and Yucái (Nurturing Talent), but they no longer exist.

Inside the Lingxing Gate lies the Pan Pond, which is semi-circular in shape, with a Pan Bridge crossing over it. On both sides of the bridge were once two sleeping palaces, now destroyed.

Beyond the Pan Pond is the Jimen (Weapon Gate), which bears an imperial plaque inscribed with the words “Equal to Heaven and Earth,” written by Emperor Qianlong. On both sides are covered corridors of stone tablets. Inside the gate are the Local Sages Shrine and the Eminent Officials Shrine on either side. The courtyard is paved with cobblestones, with 72 Sages enshrined in the left corridor and 79 Sages and Worthies in the right corridor.

At the front of the courtyard is the Dacheng Hall. The terrace in front of the hall is surrounded by stone railings, and the central stairway features a Dan Chi (red platform) with exquisitely carved details.

The Dacheng Hall is a three-bay structure with surrounding corridors and a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof. Inside, statues of Confucius, the Four Companions, and the Ten Wise Disciples are enshrined, while paintings of other revered sages line the side corridors.

Behind the Dacheng Hall were originally the Chongsheng Shrine, Minglun Hall, Xundao Office, Kuiguang Pavilion, and Zunjing Pavilion, as well as the Sacrificial Utensil Storage, Musical Instrument Storage, Animal-Slaughtering House, Changing Room, School Granary, and Divine Kitchen—all of which have been destroyed.

In the first year of the Qianlong reign (1736 AD), when Gutian and Pingnan were officially separated into distinct jurisdictions, Shen Zhong, the first magistrate of Pingnan, oversaw the construction of the county town, establishing city walls, government offices, altars, and temples. The Confucius Temple was built at this time.

In the 17th year of the Daoguang reign (1837 AD), the Confucius Temple was renovated. Ling Han, the county’s educational officer, inscribed the plaque and authored the “Record of the Reconstruction of the Sacred Temple and Construction of the Stone Archway.”

During the Xianfeng era (1851–1860 AD), the Confucius Temple was expanded with the addition of the Local Sages Shrine and the Eminent Officials Shrine.

After 1949, traditional Chinese culture was rejected, and the Confucius Temple was repurposed for other uses.

In 2001, provincial archaeological experts visited Shuangxi and concluded that Pingnan Confucius Temple is one of the best-preserved wooden-structured Dacheng Halls among Confucius Temples in the province, possessing significant value for ancient architecture research and historical culture. Subsequently, the Pingnan Confucius Temple was designated as a provincial-level cultural heritage site.

Shuangxi Town: Shuangxi Town is located in the northeastern part of Pingnan County, 18 kilometers from the county seat, and borders Zhenghe and Zhouning counties. The town administers one community and 14 administrative villages, covering a total land area of 174.4 square kilometers, with a population of 17,000 across 3,334 households. The average elevation is 860 meters; the average temperature ranges from 13 to 19 degrees Celsius, and annual rainfall ranges from 1,626 to 2,301 millimeters, characterizing a typical mid-subtropical mountain climate. The location of the town government is the former site of the Pingnan County seat (from its establishment in the 12th year of the Qing Yongzheng reign until 1950), boasting a history of over 200 years. Well-preserved sites in the town include the... More information about Shuangxi Town++