The Gate of Revering the Sage

The Gate of Revering the Sage

The Gate of Revering the Sage is a cultural tourism attraction.

The southern main gate of Qufu City, located in front of the Confucius Temple, hence named the Gate of Revering the Sage. It was first built during the Ming Dynasty. The gate bears the inscription “Great Wall of Ten Thousand Ren” (a metaphor for Confucius’s profound teachings), originally written by Hu Zongzong of the Ming Dynasty. These words were based on remarks by Zigong praising Confucius. During the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Qianlong, to show his reverence for Confucius, replaced Hu’s stele with one bearing his own calligraphy of the same four characters.

Confucius (551–479 BCE), whose given name was Qiu and courtesy name Zhongni, was a native of Zouyi, Changping (present-day southeastern Qufu, Shandong Province). 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. His impact also extends globally, especially across Southeast Asia, making him one of the world’s cultural icons.

Confucius’s ancestors were from the royal family of the Yin (Shang) Dynasty. His earliest known ancestor, Weizi Qi, the half-brother of the last Shang ruler King Zhou, preserved the rites of the Shang 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, Shuliang He, fled to the State of Lu to escape turmoil and later settled in Zou, Lu... More details about Confucius ++

Duanmu Ci, courtesy name Zigong (520–456 BCE), was one of the Seventy-two Disciples of Confucius and one of his most outstanding students. He excelled in the category of rhetoric among Confucius’s pupils. Confucius once praised him as a “vessel of great worth.” Zigong was eloquent and skilled in debate, possessed strong administrative ability, and was adept at handling affairs. He served as prime minister in both the states of Lu and Wei. He was also well-versed in business, trading between the states of Cao and Lu, and amassed a fortune of a thousand pieces of gold, making him the wealthiest among Confucius’s disciples. It is said that when Confucius was critically ill, Zigong, who had not yet returned, felt deeply remorseful. While others guarded the tomb for three years before leaving, Zigong stayed by the grave for an additional three years, guarding it for a total of six years.

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