The Temple of Confucius, the Cemetery of Confucius, and the Kong Family Mansion

The Temple of Confucius, the Cemetery of Confucius, and the Kong Family Mansion

The Temple of Confucius, the Cemetery of Confucius, and the Kong Family Mansion are a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction, a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level, a patriotic education base, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Ming-era old city of Qufu was built during the Ming Dynasty to protect the Temple of Confucius. Within the old city are the Temple of Confucius, the Kong Family Mansion, the Temple of Yan Hui, as well as historical sites such as residences of Confucius’ descendants through the ages, the ancient Pan Pond, and the Qianlong Emperor’s temporary palace. These collectively showcase the ancient urban character and profound cultural heritage of Qufu, the old capital of the State of Lu. In the late 1970s, most of the walls of the Ming-era old city of Qufu were demolished.

The Kong Family Mansion, originally named the Mansion of the Duke Yansheng, is located east of the Temple of Confucius in the city of Qufu and served as the residence of the direct descendants of Confucius. The title of Duke Yansheng was conferred by Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty in the second year of the Jihe era (1055 AD) upon Kong Zongyuan, the 46th-generation descendant of Confucius. This title was passed down through 32 generations for a total of 880 years.

The Duke Yansheng was a privileged noble in China’s feudal society. During the Song Dynasty, the rank was equivalent to an eighth-rank official; it was elevated to third rank in the Yuan Dynasty, first-rank civil official in the early Ming Dynasty, and later “ranked foremost among civil officials.” In the Qing Dynasty, the Dukes were even permitted to ride horses and walk on the imperial pathway within the Forbidden City.

The Kong Family Mansion covers an area of 240 mu and consists of 463 halls, chambers, towers, and rooms. It has nine courtyards arranged along three routes: the eastern route, also known as the East School, includes the Guanyitang Hall, Muen Hall, the Kong Family Ancestral Temple, and workshops; the western route, or West School, houses the Hong’exuan Pavilion, Zhongshu Hall, Anhuai Hall, and the flower hall; the central route is the main part, with the official section at the front featuring three halls and six chambers, the inner residential section at the back including the Front Upper Room, Front and Rear Hall Buildings, auxiliary buildings, and the Rear Six Rooms, and finally, a garden at the very end.

The Cemetery of Confucius, originally called the Forest of the Supreme Sage, is the burial ground of Confucius and his family. After Confucius’ death, his disciples buried him by the Sishui River north of the Lu capital, at that time in a simple grave without a mound. By the Qin and Han dynasties, although the grave had been built up, there were still only a few burial plots and a handful of caretakers. As Confucius’ status grew over time, so did the scale of the cemetery. In the third year of the Yongshou era (157 AD) during the Eastern Han Dynasty, Han Yue, the governor of Lu, renovated Confucius’ tomb, constructing a spirit gate in front and a fasting chamber to the southeast, assigning several households, including the Wu family, to maintain the site. At that time, the cemetery covered “no more than one hectare.” It wasn’t until the Gaoqi era of the Northern and Southern Dynasties that 600 trees were planted. During the Xuanhe era of the Song Dynasty, stone ritual objects were added in front of Confucius’ tomb. In the second year of the Zhi Shun era (1331 AD) under Yuan Emperor Wenzong, Kong Sike oversaw the construction of cemetery walls and gates. In the tenth year of the Hongwu era (1398 AD) of the Ming Dynasty, the cemetery was expanded to 3,000 mu. In the eighth year of the Yongzheng era (1730 AD), a major renovation was carried out, spending 25,300 taels of silver to rebuild various gates and archways, and guards were assigned to protect it. According to statistics, since the Han Dynasty, there have been 13 renovations and expansions, five additional tree plantings, and three expansions of the burial grounds. The entire cemetery is surrounded by walls stretching 7.25 kilometers, over 3 meters high, and about 5 meters thick, covering a total area of 2 square kilometers—much larger than the city of Qufu itself. As a clan cemetery, burials in the Cemetery of Confucius have never ceased for over 2,000 years. Here, one can examine burials from the Spring and Autumn Period, verify tombs from the Qin and Han Dynasties, and study the development of China’s politics, economy, culture, and the evolution of funeral customs. In 1961, it was declared one of the first Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level by the State Council. “Ancient tombs endure for millennia, deep woods bring chill in May”—the cemetery now has over 100,000 trees. Legend says that after Confucius’ death, “disciples brought rare trees from all directions to plant, hence many unusual species, none of which locals could name through the generations,” and to this day, some trees in the cemetery remain unnamed. Among them are cypresses, junipers, oaks, elms, locusts, hackberries, wild cherries, maples, poplars, willows, sandalwoods, privets, osmanthus, cherry blossoms, and other large trees, with roots tangled and branches lush; hundreds of plants such as wild chrysanthemums, pinellia, bupleurum, pseudostellaria, and lingzhi mushrooms also thrive in season. The Cemetery of Confucius is truly a natural botanical garden. “Broken steles lie deep in the woods, with no path to be found.” Amidst the dense foliage of the cemetery, stone tablets stand like a forest, and ritual statues cluster in groups. Aside from a number of famous Han Dynasty steles moved to the Temple of Confucius, the cemetery also houses personally inscribed tombstones by renowned calligraphers from the Ming and Qing dynasties, such as Li Dongyang, Yan Song, Weng Fanggang, He Shaoji, and Kang Youwei. Therefore, the Cemetery of Confucius can also rightly be called a forest of steles.

The Temple of Confucius, the Kong Family Mansion, and the Cemetery of Confucius are located in Qufu, Shandong Province. They form the largest complex in China that integrates the residence of Confucius’ direct descendants and the burial grounds of Confucius and his descendants. Confucius (551–479 BC) was the founder of Confucianism. In the year following his death, his former residence was converted into the Temple of Confucius and used for annual worship. From the Han Dynasty onward, successive emperors advocated Confucian teachings and continuously posthumously honored and bestowed titles upon Confucius while expanding his temple, making the Temple of Confucius increasingly grand in scale.

Orderly architecture, a treasure trove of art

The existing Temple of Confucius covers an area of 327.5 mu, with 466 buildings spread across nine courtyards along a north-south axis. The layout is symmetrical and rigorously planned, conveying a majestic atmosphere. The first three courtyards feature guiding structures such as gates and memorial archways. The fourth courtyard houses the three-tiered Kuiwen Pavilion, which stores books bestowed by emperors throughout history. The seventh courtyard contains the “Apricot Altar,” believed to be the site where Confucius once taught. The main hall of the Temple of Confucius, the Dacheng Hall, stands 31.89 meters tall, 54 meters wide, and 34 meters deep. Beneath its corridors are 28 dragon pillars, each carved from a single block of stone. The ten stone pillars in the front corridor feature exquisite high-relief carvings of paired dragons dancing amid clouds, rocks, and waves—rare artistic masterpieces. The temple also preserves a wealth of stone inscriptions and pictorial bricks, serving as invaluable resources for studying ancient Chinese calligraphy and culture.

The Kong Family Mansion is a model of integrating government office with residence, and garden with home

To the east of the Temple of Confucius lies the Kong Family Mansion, the hereditary residence of the eldest direct descendants of Confucius. Originally built in the Song Dynasty and expanded over successive generations, it now covers an area of over 200 mu with more than 480 rooms. The government office and residence are integrated, forming a typical feudal aristocratic estate. The official hall was used for receiving imperial edicts or handling family affairs. At the rear of the mansion is a garden, exquisitely designed and uniquely laid out, often hailed as a fine example of garden design and a perfect blend of residence and garden. The mansion also houses a vast collection of historical archives, heirloom artifacts, costumes, and utensils from various dynasties—all extremely precious.

The Cemetery of Confucius is the oldest and most intact family burial ground

Also known as the Forest of the Supreme Sage, the Cemetery of Confucius is located outside the northern gate of Qufu, covering 3,000 mu, with brick walls stretching 14 li around it. It serves as the family burial ground for Confucius and his descendants. Cedars and cypresses line the paths inside. To enter, one must walk along a 1,200-meter-long tomb path, pass through a stone memorial archway, a stone bridge, and a passageway before reaching Confucius’ tomb. His grave mound is 6 meters high, with the tombs of his son Kong Li and grandson Kong Ji located to the east. Some graves in the cemetery also feature stone-carved ornamental columns, statues, and animals—placed according to the ranks of the deceased. The cemetery has been in continuous use for 2,500 years, containing over 100,000 tombs. Its long history, vast number of burials, and excellent preservation are unparalleled worldwide.

Confucius (551–479 BC), whose given name was Qiu and courtesy name Zhongni, was a native of Zouyi in Changping, State of Lu (now southeastern Qufu, Shandong Province). He was a philosopher, 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 extends globally, especially in Southeast Asia, making him one of the world’s cultural icons.

Confucius’ ancestors included Weizi Qi, the half-brother of King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty, who inherited the Shang rites 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, Mu Jin Fu, fled to Lu for refuge and later settled there... More details on Confucius++

Further reading:

· First Batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level

Temple of Confucius in Qufu

Cemetery of Confucius

Kong Family Mansion