Thirteen Stele Pavilions

Thirteen Stele Pavilions

The Thirteen Stele Pavilions are a cultural tourism attraction.

The Thirteen Stele Pavilions are located between the east and west gates of the sixth courtyard of the Confucius Temple, behind the Kuiwen Pavilion. They were built specifically to preserve imperial stone steles commissioned by feudal emperors, commonly known as "Imperial Stele Pavilions," and are situated in the courtyards on the east and west sides in front of the Dacheng Gate. There are eight pavilions south of the path and five north of it, arranged in two staggered rows. All thirteen stele pavilions are wooden structures, square in shape, with double-eaved octagonal roofs and colorful bracket sets.

The Thirteen Stele Pavilions fully reflect the status of Confucius in feudal society, among which the Jin Dynasty Stele Pavilion is the oldest ancient structure in the Confucius Temple. Within the Thirteen Stele Pavilions stand 55 various imperial steles from the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. There are two Jin Dynasty stele pavilions, built during the major renovation project between the second and sixth years of the Mingchang era in the Jin Dynasty, and they are the oldest existing buildings in the Confucius Temple; two Yuan Dynasty stele pavilions, built in the sixth year of the Yuandade era and the fifth year of the Yuanyou era respectively; and nine Qing Dynasty stele pavilions, including five imperial stele pavilions and four stele pavilions for envoys sent to conduct sacrifices, built during the reigns of the Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong emperors.