The Main Hall of the Yutai Confucius Temple

The Main Hall of the Yutai Confucius Temple

The Main Hall of the Yutai Confucius Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Main Hall of the Confucius Temple is located within the campus of Yutai No. 2 Middle School in Yucheng Town. Originally built in 1757 (the 22nd year of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty), its main structure, the Dacheng Hall, measures 23.7 meters in length, 15.3 meters in width, and 15.5 meters in height, covering a floor area of 362 square meters. The architectural style is a five-ridged Xieshan-style roof, featuring seven bays and 42 pillars, each with a diameter of 42 centimeters. It has a single-layer flying eave covered with green glazed tiles, with a yellow-glazed diamond pattern in the center of the front facade. The flying eaves are adorned with ceramic animal ornaments, and at both ends of the roof ridge stand two dragons facing each other. The interior and exterior feature bracket sets (dougong), with double-ang dougong in flat arches, presenting a colorful spectacle. On both the east and west sides of the hall are side halls (xuanwu), each with nine bays. At the front are the Ji Gate and the Lingxing Gate, each with three bays. In the center is the Pan Pond, flanked on the east and west by the Temples of Meritorious Officials, Local Sages, Loyalty and Righteousness, and Chastity and Filial Piety. To the northeast of the hall is the Qisheng Shrine, and behind it lies the Minglun Hall, with the Jingyi Pavilion situated behind the hall. The Confucian temple complex is enclosed by walls. The colorful screen wall in front of the Dacheng Hall is decorated with vivid images of nine dragons and two phoenixes. In front of the screen wall is the Qingyun Bridge, and to the south of the bridge, along the north side of Yucheng’s East-West Main Street, stands the Wenming Archway, with painted flying eaves and the inscription “Eternal Source of the Dao” (Qiangu Dao Yuan). In May 1938, during the Japanese attack on the county town, artillery fire destroyed the central two bays of the Dacheng Hall. In the spring of 1942, the Yutai County Confucius-Mencius Society funded its restoration. Between 1945 and 1948, the auxiliary structures were successively demolished, leaving only the Dacheng Hall today. In October 1985, it was designated as a municipal-level cultural relics protection unit, and in 1994, it was listed as a provincial-level protected site.

Yucheng Town: Located in the southwestern part of Yutai County, Yucheng Town borders Feng County of Jiangsu Province to the south and is adjacent to Jinxiang County of Shandong Province to the west. It lies at the junction of two provinces and three counties, governing 40 administrative villages and 87 natural villages, with a population of 41,000 and arable land covering 50,000 mu. The town Party committee oversees 60 party branches, with 1,542 party members, 93 government officials, 236 primary and secondary school teachers, 8 full-time elementary schools, and one provincially standardized elementary school. The long-renowned Yutai No. 2 Middle School and Yutai No. 2 Hospital are located in the town. From 1752 to 1956, Yucheng Town served as the county seat of Yutai County. The local industry focuses on cotton textiles, machinery manufacturing... More details about Yucheng Town++

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· First Batch of Jining Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Units