Bronze Statue of Confucius

Bronze Statue of Confucius

An ancient cultural relic with high ornamental and recreational value. It holds significant importance for the study of Confucianism by Confucius and Mencius, as well as the influence of Confucius’s travels and teachings on cultural education. It has had a profound impact in countries and regions such as Japan.

The bronze statue of Confucius is seated, cast from bronze (an alloy of copper, tin, and lead) using clay molds, then finely processed, carved with decorative patterns, and finally gilded. The statue stands 1.25 meters tall, with a base 1 meter wide, and weighs 200 kilograms. It features a cloud-patterned lotus crown, official boots, and ceremonial robes adorned with embroidered borders and lotus motifs. A flowing ribbon is tied across the chest, and the figure sits upright with knees level, holding a ceremonial tablet, with a full-moon-like face and downward gaze, exuding a gentle, dignified, and solemn demeanor. The overall impression is that of a learned scholar, tireless in teaching and insatiable in learning. An inscription on the lower left of the statue reads: “In the longest day of the year during the Gengxu year of the Jiajing era, Cao Daxia, conferred by imperial decree as the Chief of the Ministry of Punishments, respectfully crafted this” (crafted in 1550 AD). An inscription on the lower right states: “The image of the revered Master Confucius, the Minister of Justice, along with those of Yan Hui, Zeng Shen, Zisi, and Mencius, each one enshrined here, to be venerated for ten thousand generations.” This bronze statue is currently the earliest surviving statue of Confucius in China and is regarded as a national treasure.

Confucius is revered by the world as the “Supreme Sage and Exemplary Teacher,” with successive emperors bestowing ever more honorable titles upon him. Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty even married one of his princesses to a descendant of the Confucius family. Overseas Chinese frequently return to pay homage, and foreign visitors often come to explore this historic site. In 1986, Yasushi Inoue, head of the Japan-China Cultural Exchange Association delegation, led a visit to sites including “The Place Where Zilu Asked About the Ferry,” “the Tombs of Changju and Jieni,” “the Old Course of the Ru River,” “the Ancient City of Cai State,” and the “Confucius Temple.” In the Dacheng Hall of the Confucius Temple, he took a commemorative photo with his daughter before the statue of Confucius and inscribed the words “Nourish it as if it were spring.” The following year, he authored and published the book Confucius. In 1996, the Qufu Tourism Bureau accompanied Japanese friends to view the bronze statue of Confucius. In 1995, Xiang Chunsheng, a cultural relics administrator of the Confucius Temple, and his team visited the ancient land of Cai, paid homage to the image of Confucius, and took photographs.

There is only one surviving bronze statue of Confucius from the Ming Dynasty in the entire country. According to the introduction plaque at the Dacheng Hall of the Confucius Temple in Qufu, Shandong Province: there were originally only two Ming Dynasty bronze statues of Confucius, one of which was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution in the Dacheng Hall of the Qufu Confucius Temple, while the other is now housed in the Dacheng Hall of the Confucius Temple in Xincai County, Henan Province.

The bronze statue of Confucius is enshrined in the Dacheng Hall of the Xincai Confucius Temple, located in the southeastern part of Xincai County. It lies 150 meters south of Nan Chenghe Road (Minglin Road), over 1,000 meters west of National Highway 106, and 15 kilometers west of the planned A-Shen Expressway. It is 7 kilometers south of the site where Zilu Asked About the Ferry and the Tomb of Marquis Ping of Cai. The site is 102 kilometers from Zhumadian City, 73 kilometers from Nanhai Buddhist Temple, over 120 kilometers from Boshan Lake Scenic Area, over 130 kilometers from Chaoyang Mountain Scenic Area, and over 160 kilometers from Tongshan Scenic Area.

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

Confucius’s ancestors included Weizi Qi, the half-brother of King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty’s later years. Weizi Qi upheld the sacrifices of the Shang 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 the State of Lu to escape turmoil and later settled in Zou, Lu... More detailed information about Confucius++