Jinan Confucius Temple of the Prefectural School

Jinan Confucius Temple of the Prefectural School

The Jinan Confucius Temple of the Prefectural School is a cultural relic protection unit of Shandong Province.

According to research, among all known Confucius Temples distributed across China, except for the Confucius Temple in Qufu, Shandong, the Confucius Temple in Pingxiang, Jiangxi, the Liuhe Confucius Temple in Nanjing, and the Suzhou Confucius Temple, all others were built later than the Jinan Confucius Temple of the Prefectural School. Coupled with its massive scale and far-reaching influence, it is evident that the Jinan Confucius Temple of the Prefectural School holds an important position nationwide. Officially commencing construction on September 10, 2005, the Jinan Confucius Temple of the Prefectural School, after five years of meticulous restoration, was fully completed on September 28, 2010.

The Jinan Confucius Temple of the Prefectural School is located at No. 248 Minghu Road, Lixia District, Jinan City, adjacent to Daming Lake to the north and close to old city streets such as Furong Street. Established during the Xining era (1068–1077 AD) of the Song Dynasty, the temple collapsed at the end of the Yuan Dynasty and was rebuilt in the second year of the Hongwu era (1369 AD) of the Ming Dynasty. During the Qing Dynasty, the temple underwent multiple renovations but largely retained the scale and architectural layout of the Ming Dynasty version. Historical records indicate that the original complex of the Jinan Confucius Temple of the Prefectural School was a vast architectural ensemble, stretching 247 meters in length and 64–66 meters in width. The entire complex was symmetrically arranged along a central axis. From the four surviving structures—the screen wall, the south gate, the Pan Pond, and the Dacheng Hall—traces of its former grandeur can still be faintly discerned. The Jinan Confucius Temple of the Prefectural School was established during the Xining era of the Song Dynasty (1068–1077 AD), situated by Daming Lake, renowned as the “Number One Lake under Heaven.” Historically, it was destroyed and rebuilt several times. During the Jin Dynasty, the temple suffered severe damage due to war and collapsed at the end of the Yuan Dynasty. It was rebuilt in the second year of the Hongwu era (1369 AD) of the Ming Dynasty, expanded in the nineteenth year of the Chenghua era (1483 AD), and underwent further restorations over subsequent dynasties. By the end of the Ming Dynasty, its architectural layout had been perfected. The Qing Dynasty continued renovating the temple but largely maintained the scale and layout from the Ming era, extending the temple’s grounds north to Minghu Road, west to Gongyuan Qianggen Street, south to the South Gate, and east to Qushuiting Street. The Jinan Confucius Temple of the Prefectural School served as the center of culture and education in Jinan through the ages. However, after the abolition of the imperial examination system during the Republican era, the temple gradually declined. Years of war led to its damage even before the liberation. After liberation, the Dacheng Hall was repurposed as an auditorium, and later the temple became the campus of Daminghu Road Primary School. In 2005, the municipal government decided to fully restore the temple. The Municipal Bureau of Cultural Relics carefully formulated a restoration plan based on archaeological excavations. After five years of intensive construction, the project was fully completed. The Jinan Confucius Temple of the Prefectural School was first built during the Xining era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1068–1077 AD). The 1773 edition of the Licheng County Annals · Construction Records · Part Three recorded: “During the Xining era of the Song Dynasty, Prefect Li Gong first established the prefectural school at the southern side of Daming Lake…” and mentioned that the Yuan Dynasty scholar Zhang Qiyian stated in the Jinanlu Miaoxue Xinyuan Jilüe that this Confucius Temple “was modeled after Lu,” meaning it imitated the specifications and systems of the Qufu Confucius Temple. The county annals also noted that the temple was destroyed during the chaos caused by the Jin people in the Zhen era (1213–1216 AD) of the Jin Dynasty and fell into disrepair at the end of the Yuan Dynasty. It was rebuilt in 1369 AD, expanded in 1483 AD, and underwent several more renovations or expansions until the end of the Ming Dynasty when its architectural layout was perfected, establishing a certain scale. The Qing Dynasty continued maintaining the temple with minimal changes to the layout, preserving the Ming-era structure and scale, with some components even retaining traces of the Song Dynasty style. According to the Licheng County Annals, the Jinan Confucius Temple of the Prefectural School “was modeled after Lu,” with form and scale similar to the Qufu Confucius Temple. Especially the single-eave hip-and-gable roofed Dacheng Hall, its size ranks among the foremost of similar existing ancient buildings in China.

Address: No. 248 Minghu Road, Lixia District, Jinan City, Shandong Province

Business Hours: 9:00–16:00

Travel Tips

Take bus routes K98, K54, K95, K109, Tourist 41, 777, or Route 11 in downtown Jinan and get off at Daminghu Station.

Official Website of the Scenic Area

http://www.fxwm.cn/

Take bus routes K98, K54, K95, K109, Tourist 41, 777, or Route 11 in downtown Jinan and get off at Daminghu Station.

Admission: 10 RMB per person

Free admission for seniors aged 60 and above, primary and secondary school students with valid student IDs. Free entry for teachers every Teachers' Day.

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units