The Scenic Area of the Three Temples and One Hall in Gongcheng

The Scenic Area of the Three Temples and One Hall in Gongcheng

The Scenic Area of the Three Temples and One Hall in Gongcheng is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a cultural tourism site.

When traveling to Gongcheng Yao Autonomous County in Guilin, you must not miss the “Three Temples and One Hall (Confucius Temple, Martial Temple, Zhou Wei Ancestral Hall, and Hunan Guild Hall)”, which is a national key cultural relics protection unit.

The Gongcheng Confucius Temple, also known as the Temple of Confucius or the Imperial College, is a temple dedicated to commemorating Confucius, the great ancient Chinese educator and philosopher. Covering an area of 3,600 square meters with a construction area of 1,300 square meters, it is the largest, oldest, most magnificent, and best-preserved temple in Guangxi, and is known as the “Little Qufu of South China”.

It was first built in the eighth year of the Yongle reign during the Ming Dynasty (1410 AD), and has a history of nearly 600 years. In terms of age, it is four years younger than the Forbidden City in Beijing and seven years older than Tiananmen Gate.

Facing south and backed by Xishan Mountain, the temple is built on six ascending terraces, layer upon layer, creating a grand and spectacular momentum. The architectural layout includes, in sequence: the screen wall and official walls, the Gate of Rites and Gate of Righteousness, the Lingxing Gate, the Pan Pond and Zhuangyuan Bridge, stele pavilions on both sides and the east and west wing rooms, the Dacheng Gate, the Hall of Eminent Sages, the Hall of Local Sages, the east and west side halls, the terrace, the Dacheng Hall, and finally the Chongsheng Hall. The gates, courtyards, and halls are all aligned along a central axis, symmetrically arranged with clear hierarchy and rigorous layout. The Lingxing Gate in the temple is built from bluestone, and the three characters “Lingxing Gate” were inscribed by Emperor Qianlong. The Zhuangyuan Bridge over the Pan Pond, along with the cloud-pattern stone carvings on the bridge, symbolize “ascending to success effortlessly”. The double doors of the Dacheng Gate feature exquisitely carved openwork patterns on both sides. There is also a large bluestone dragon step (only two such steps exist nationwide) that symbolizes the status of the emperor. Inside the Dacheng Hall, there are three plaques inscribed by Qing emperors: “Model Teacher for All Generations” by Emperor Kangxi, “Never Existed Such a Sage Among People” by Emperor Yongzheng, and “Here Lies Civilization” by Emperor Guangxu. Additionally, there is a statue of Confucius that is 3.5 meters tall with an 0.8-meter pedestal, and statues of the “Four Companions” that are 2 meters tall.

The Martial Temple is 50 meters away from the Confucius Temple, with the Confucius Temple on the left and the Martial Temple on the right. The coexistence of the two temples in one place, complementing each other, is unique in China. This temple is dedicated to the worship of Guan Yu, the famous general of the Three Kingdoms period, and is also known as the Guan Di Temple. It was first built in the 31st year of the Wanli reign during the Ming Dynasty (1603), with a temple area of 2,100 square meters. The entire layout consists of an ancient opera stage, rain shelter, main gate, main hall, rear hall, and east and west wing halls. Many carvings in the Martial Temple are highly intricate.

The Zhou Wei Ancestral Hall, referred to by locals in Gongcheng as the Zhou King Temple or Jiaying Temple, was built in the 14th year of the Chenghua reign during the Ming Dynasty (1478 AD) and renovated in the first year of the Yongzheng reign during the Qing Dynasty (1723 AD). It is a temple dedicated to commemorating Zhou Wei, an imperial censor of the Northern Song Dynasty. The Zhou Wei Ancestral Hall covers an area of over 1,600 square meters with a construction area of 1,040 square meters, and consists of an opera stage (destroyed in the 1930s), a gate tower, the main hall, the rear hall, and east and west wing rooms. The gate tower of the Zhou Wei Ancestral Hall is the essence of the entire complex. With five bays in width and a double-eave hip-and-gable roof, it features characteristics of ancient Ming and Qing architecture. The lower eave is supported by eave columns, while the golden columns reach the top to support the upper eave. The structure tapers abruptly in the middle, and five layers of brackets project outward, giving the roof high, upturned eaves that appear majestic and splendid. The double-eave structure, composed of a well-organized combination of three types of bracket sets—seat brackets, interlocking brackets, and mandarin duck interlocking brackets—resembles a honeycomb, and is referred to as the “Beehive Tower Cluster”. The main hall houses a statue of Zhou Wei, and the surrounding walls feature murals depicting his life stories, accompanied by poetic verses. Outside of Gongcheng, Zhou Wei may not be widely known. According to the “History of the Song Dynasty”, he was from Lukou Village in Gongcheng County, lived through the chaotic end of the Tang Dynasty, and died in the second year of the Xianping reign of the Northern Song Dynasty (999 AD). He was awarded the status of Jinshi (advanced scholar) and rose to the position of imperial censor. Known for his integrity and effective governance throughout his life, he was posthumously honored by the imperial court as the “Loyal and Benevolent King”. He was also deeply concerned about the welfare of his fellow villagers, petitioned the court to reduce taxes, strived to improve public knowledge, and promoted local education. After his death, the local people, in gratitude, raised funds to build a temple and erect a statue in his honor.

The Hunan Guild Hall is located next to the Zhou Wei Ancestral Hall. It was built in the 11th year of the Tongzhi reign during the Qing Dynasty (1872 AD) with funds raised by the Hunan fellow-townsmen association at the time. Covering an area of 1,847 square meters with a construction area of 1,420 square meters, it consists of a gate tower, an opera stage, a main hall, and east and west wing rooms. Because of its unique structure, ingenious design, rich carvings, and intricate floral and human figures, it is praised as the “Flower of the Hunan Guild Hall”. It is the only one among the “Four Great Guild Halls” in Gongcheng (Guangdong Guild Hall, Hunan Guild Hall, Fujian Guild Hall, and Jiangxi Guild Hall) that remains fully preserved to this day. Its gate tower and opera stage have very distinctive structures, with the overall plan shaped like a convex character. The second floor of the gate tower also serves as the backstage of the opera stage, with the street-facing side being the gate tower and the stage located behind it. In other words, the stage and the gate tower are front and back to each other, using the “column-shifting construction” method in their beam-frame structure to accommodate the dual functions of the stage and the gate tower. The steeply pitched roof appears delicate, restful, and rich in variation. The richly decorated ancient opera stage looks quaint yet magnificent, featuring distinct Lingnan architectural characteristics, and holds high artistic and research value. It is a rare gem among ancient buildings in Guangxi.