The Temple of Literature in Jiangzhou

The Temple of Literature in Jiangzhou

The Temple of Literature in Jiangzhou is a national key cultural relic protection unit.

The Temple of Literature is a key cultural relic protection unit of Shanxi Province. It is located on Sifu Street in the county town of Xinjiang. Covering an area of 10,670 square meters, the exact date of its establishment remains uncertain. According to the inscribed stone tablet in the temple — "Record of the Reconstruction of the Confucian Temple," a compilation of calligraphy by Wang Xizhi, General of the Right Army of the Jin Dynasty — it is inferred that the Temple of Literature was built no later than the Song Dynasty. Since then, it has undergone numerous expansions during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, forming a distinctive ancient architectural complex. The existing structures along the central axis include a screen wall, a pond, the Lingxing Gate, the Dacheng Hall, and several side rooms. Other elements such as the Minglun Hall, the Zunjing Pavilion, and cypress trees hundreds of years old were destroyed during the Liberation period and the Cultural Revolution. The Dacheng Hall and other buildings were preserved because they were used as warehouses by the Grain Bureau.

The pond, over ten feet deep, is surrounded by stone railings and flanked by stone archways engraved with the design of carp leaping through the Dragon Gate. The water inlet features an original carved dragon head. The Lingxing Gate was originally made of wood, but during the Qing Dynasty, Magistrate Li Wenjie replaced the wooden structure with stone, adding stone archways on both sides.

The Dacheng Hall is surrounded by corridors and features a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof. In front of the hall is an offering platform and stone balustrades with stone pillars. During emergency repairs in 2002, a beautifully carved dragon slope was discovered in front of the platform, and the foundation of the original courtyard was also unearthed.

In 2002, the restoration project of this ancient architectural heritage site, the Temple of Literature, was listed as a key project of Xinjiang County. Zhao Shuntao, the head of the Publicity Department, was specifically responsible for its implementation. After four months of intensive preparation and construction, the east and west side rooms, the Dacheng Gate, the Mountain Gate, and other structures were restored, while the Dacheng Hall, Lingxing Gate, pond, and screen wall were repaired. This transformed the Temple of Literature into another open tourist attraction in Xinjiang.

Location of the Attraction

Township Road 035, Xinjiang County, Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province

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 thinker, 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 impact extends globally, especially across Southeast Asia, making him one of the world’s cultural icons.

Confucius’ ancestors were the younger half-brother of King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty, Weizi Qi, who presided over the Shang ancestral rites 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 eventually settled in Zou, Lu... More detailed information about Confucius ++

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Key Cultural Relic Protection Units in Shanxi Province

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relic Protection Units