Puning Confucius Temple

Puning Confucius Temple

Puning Confucius Temple is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Guangdong Province.

Puning Confucius Temple is located in Hongyang Town, Puning City, and is a temple dedicated to the worship of Confucius, the Great Sage. Facing a small stream and oriented north-south, the temple features a symmetrical, regular, and square layout that creates an atmosphere of solemnity and reverence. The structures are arranged from front to back as follows: screen wall, Lingxing Gate, Pan Pond (now filled in), front hall, side rooms and courtyard, Dacheng Hall, backyard and rear hall. The Dacheng Hall is elevated 0.7 meters above the courtyard, featuring stone-carved railings and spindle-shaped stone pillars, and is constructed with a traditional post-and-lintel wooden structure. On the wall of the main hall is a plaque inscribed with “Supreme Harmony and Vital Energy” (太和元气), written by Yue Fei. To the west inside the entrance stands a centuries-old “Chinese parasol tree,” and on the right side there is a “Shrine to Wei Zhongxian.” As is widely known, after the death of the eunuch Wei Zhongxian, public outrage led to the destruction of all shrines and stone statues built for him across the country. The survival of this shrine and its stone statue here is extremely rare, possessing both historical and artistic value. The temple also contains an ancient well known as “Dragon Pearl Sweet Spring.” Behind the temple lies “Hui Feng Pavilion,” which was the birthplace of the first branch of the Communist Youth League in the Chaoshan and Meizhou region in May 1925, following the victory of the National Revolutionary Army’s first Eastern Expedition.

Puning Confucius Temple was first built in the third year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1575) and underwent several renovations and expansions over time, with a major restoration in the 60th year of the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty (1721). In the ninth year of the Republic of China (1920), it was converted into the site of the County’s First Middle School. During the Anti-Japanese War, Puning No. 1 Middle School was relocated to Yutang Village, and the temple was repurposed as a training center for township and village defense heads under the Nationalist Party in Puning County. After the victory in the war, it continued to serve as school buildings for Puning No. 1 Middle School and later for Hongyang United Middle School. In 1961, it was designated as a cultural heritage site protected at the county level in Puning.

Hongyang Town: Hongyang Town is located in the northeastern part of Puning City, covering an area of 66.3 square kilometers, including 35,000 mu of arable land and 32,000 mu of mountainous land. It governs 32 village committees and 2 community neighborhood committees, with a total population of 144,000. It is a well-known fruit-producing and overseas Chinese hometown, with more than 50,000 overseas Chinese, compatriots from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. The current built-up area of the town is approximately 8 square kilometers, with a population of about 35,000. Hongyang enjoys convenient transportation, with Provincial Highway 1930, Zhanmian Line, and Baima Line passing through the town. The town is about 2 …… More detailed information about Hongyang Town++

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units