Confucius Temple at Mount Tai

Confucius Temple at Mount Tai

The Confucius Temple at Mount Tai is a cultural tourism attraction.

This Confucius Temple at Mount Tai is located on the north side of the eastern end of the Tianjie at Mount Tai. It was built by Minister Zhu Heng during the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty, with the main hall renovated during the Wanli reign. In front of the temple stands the "Wangwu Shengji" (Sacred Site of Gazing at Wu) stone memorial archway, which was rebuilt in 1984. There is also a "Confucius Temple" stone archway. Inside the temple are a mountain gate, the main hall, and side halls, enshrining Confucius alongside Yanzi, Zengzi, Zisi, and Mencius. It was rebuilt in the 15th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1676), and in the 35th year of the Qianlong reign (1770), the plaque "Yin Gao Yu Da" (High as the Mountain, Vast as the Principle) was bestowed. The east side hall of the temple is the "Prayer for Blessings Hall," while the west side has been converted into the "God of Wealth Hall."

The Confucius Temple houses several couplets that reflect reverence for Confucius.

On the couplet pillars on both sides of the temple gate is an inscription by Xu Zonggan of the Qing Dynasty: “The more you look up, the higher he seems; the more you delve, the firmer he stands—such a one can be spoken of as exalted; surpassing his peers and standing out from the crowd, he is as if ascending nature itself.”

On the screen wall inside the gate is inscribed: “Climb Mount Tai and the world seems small; reject all other schools to honor the Six Classics.” On the stele of the statue of Confucius within the temple is written: “Of all under Mount Tai, only one dares to stand as equal; Confucius, the sage eternal, is revered with a thousand peaks.”

The couplet in front of the main hall reads: “Rites and scriptures uphold the laws of a hundred kings; benevolence, righteousness, loyalty, and trust establish the principles for all ages. Horizontal inscription: Exemplar for All Ages.”

The couplet in front of the Prayer for Blessings Hall reads: “Mount Tai is the sage among mountains; Confucius is the mountain among sages.” (Ming Dynasty · Yan Yunxiao, “Ode to the Confucius Temple”)

Location of the Attraction

Northern side of the eastern end of the Tianjie at Mount Tai, Tai’an City, Shandong Province