Menglin

Menglin

Menglin is the burial ground of Mencius and his descendants. It is located at the southwestern foot of Siji Mountain, 12 kilometers northeast of Zoucheng, bordered by Fuyi Mountain to the south and facing Mount Tai to the north. It is a well-preserved and relatively intact family cemetery. According to the "Record of the Construction of the Mencius Temple," a stele preserved in the Hall of Worship at Menglin from the fifth year of the Jingyou era of the Song Dynasty (1038 AD), the forty-fifth-generation descendant of Confucius, Kong Daofu, who served as governor of Yanzhou, discovered Mencius’ tomb and established the Mencius Temple nearby (which was later relocated to the county seat). In the seventh year of the Yuanfeng era of the Song Dynasty (1084 AD), the imperial court allocated 300,000 coins from the treasury to renovate the tomb and temple, purchase ritual fields, and plant numerous cypress and juniper trees. In the fourteenth year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty (1277 AD), Huo Tianxiang, the criminal investigation commissioner of Shandong, erected a stele in front of Mencius’ tomb inscribed with “Tomb of Our Preceptor, Duke Zou,” though this stele no longer exists. The site was further expanded and renovated during the Ming and Qing dynasties. According to the "Recompiled Chronicles of the Three Relocations · Forest and Tomb," in the twenty-second year of the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty (1683 AD), the Shandong governor sent a document to the Duke of Yansheng requesting clarification, revealing that the tomb fields of the Second Sage covered 730.4 mu. The forest contains over 10,000 trees of various species, including cypress, juniper, elm, locust, Chinese scholar tree, catalpa, maple, oak, and poplar, most of which were planted during the Song, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. The main gate of the Hall of Worship at Menglin faces south, and one can reach it by passing through the sacred path and the imperial bridge. The existing Hall of Worship in the courtyard largely retains its original appearance, although the side rooms on both sides collapsed long ago and were never rebuilt. Inside the Hall of Worship, there are six stone steles, among which the one erected in the fifth year of the Jingyou era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1038 AD) inscribed with the "Record of the Construction of the Mencius Temple" was written by Sun Fu of the Northern Song Dynasty. With a history of over 900 years, it is the earliest extant stele related to the “Three Mengs” of Zouxian and holds significant reference value for the study of Mencius’ historical sites. Behind the Hall of Worship lies Mencius’ tomb, which features a grand mound surrounded by lush grass and dense woods. In front of the tomb stands a large stele inscribed with “Tomb of the Second Sage, Mencius.”

Approximately 300 meters northwest of Mencius’ tomb are three tall ancient burial mounds, traditionally believed to be the tombs of Mengsun, Jisun, and Shusun.

Mencius’ birthday is on the second day of the fourth lunar month. To commemorate his birth, an annual grand traditional fair is held in front of Menglin from the second to the fifth day of the fourth lunar month, a tradition that has continued to this day.

Mencius (approximately 372–289 BCE), a philosopher, statesman, and educator of the Warring States period, was a representative figure of the Confucian School of Mencius. His given name was Ke, and his courtesy name was Ziyu. He was a native of Zou, Lu (present-day southeastern Zoucheng, Shandong Province). He is regarded as the successor to Confucius’ teachings and is honored as the “Second Sage.”

It is said that Mencius was a descendant of the noble Mengsun clan of the State of Lu. Orphaned at a young age and raised in poverty, he studied under a disciple of Zisi. After completing his studies, he traveled among the feudal lords as a scholar, attempting to promote his political ideals. He visited the states of Liang (Wei), Qi, Song, and Teng. Although he was once... [Mencius detailed information++]