Pingxiang Confucius Temple

Pingxiang Confucius Temple

Pingxiang Confucius Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangxi Province.

Pingxiang Confucius Temple (including Dacheng Gate (Ji Gate), Minghuan Shrine, Xiangxian Shrine, East Side Hall, West Side Hall, Moon Terrace, Dacheng Hall, and Minglun Hall)

Pingxiang Confucius Temple, among the 22 known Confucius Temples in China, was built relatively early and is the best-preserved one in Jiangxi Province. It was first constructed during the Wude era of the Tang Dynasty, initiated by Tang E, originally situated behind Baoji Temple on Nanzheng Street in Pingxiang City. It was destroyed during the Northern Song Dynasty due to war. From the Southern Song Dynasty onward, it was relocated eight times, and rebuilt in the 10th year of the Shunzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1653). The existing structures were built in the 12th year of the Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty (1734).

The Confucius Temple was designated as a provincial-level key cultural relic protection unit in 1987.

As early as 1981, the Pingxiang Confucius Temple was converted into the Pingxiang Museum. In the Xundao Zhai and Minglun Hall on the west side of the Dacheng Hall, there is also the Pingxiang Ancient Civilization Exhibition Hall. A giant thousand-year-old lingzhi mushroom, known as “rare in the world and first in Asia,” and dinosaur egg fossils from the Cretaceous period 65 million years ago were once displayed here. In 2010, the Pingxiang Museum moved out of the Confucius Temple to a new location, and the temple became a branch of the museum, often hosting exhibitions related to Confucius culture.

The stone pillars in front of the Dacheng Hall are entwined with carved dragons, while the stone railings and pillars of the terrace feature vividly sculpted thousand-year turtles and cranes. The stone steps in front of the terrace have coiled dragons, exquisitely ancient and simple, leaving visitors in awe of the superb artistry of ancient architecture.

A horizontal plaque inscribed with the words “Dao Guan Gu Jin” (Moral Authority Through the Ages) hangs above the Dacheng Hall, symbolizing that Confucius’s teachings surpass all others in history. On the adjacent pillars is a couplet: the upper line reads “Establishing Confucian doctrine, practicing benevolence, spreading virtuous governance, teaching disciples as a model for all generations,” and the lower line reads “Editing the Book of Songs and Book of Documents, establishing rites and music, compiling the Spring and Autumn Annals, praising the Book of Changes, a sage for a thousand autumns.” This couplet comprehensively summarizes Confucius’s life and achievements, demonstrating the profound reverence of the people of Pingxiang for him. No wonder the land of Chuping has since ancient times been “a place where culture flourishes and great scholars emerge.”

To the west of the Dacheng Hall are the Xundao Zhai and Minglun Hall, which were once places where scholars studied. They have now been turned into the Pingxiang Ancient Civilization Exhibition Hall, which introduces the long history and splendid ancient culture of this ancient city with over 1,700 years of history, using artifacts unearthed in the city and those in the museum’s collection as clues.

In the Confucius Temple, there are two must-see items. The first is the giant thousand-year-old lingzhi mushroom. This lingzhi was harvested in October 2003 from the primeval forest of Wugong Mountain, weighing 55.5 kilograms, measuring 107 centimeters in length and 53 centimeters in width, and is hailed as “rare in the world and first in Asia.”

Depending on the viewing angle, it resembles a thousand-year-old turtle, a bather maiden, a giant bat, or a peacock with its tail spread — viewers can’t help but marvel at it, truly a spirit of nature.

The second is the dinosaur egg fossils from the Cretaceous period 65 million years ago. These fossils were first discovered in August 2002, totaling as many as 243, with one specimen even containing 22 eggs — undoubtedly a marvel of ancient life in Pingxiang.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units