Deyang Confucius Temple

Deyang Confucius Temple

Deyang Confucius Temple is a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level.

Located on South Street in the city center of Deyang. The Confucius Temple, also known as the Temple of Literature, is a place dedicated to the worship of Confucius. Confucius, whose given name was Qiu and courtesy name Zhongni, was a native of the State of Lu during the Spring and Autumn period. He is China's greatest philosopher, educator, statesman, and the founder of the Confucian school of thought, as well as a world cultural celebrity. The Confucian doctrine he established was regarded as the orthodox ideology in China’s long feudal society for over two thousand years. He was revered by rulers as the "Great Achieved and Supreme Sage" and "King Wenxuan," among other titles. The earliest Confucius Temple was merely a "three-room shrine" where Confucius once lived. In the fourth year of the Zhenguan era under Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, an imperial edict mandated the establishment of Confucius Temples in all counties and prefectures. With the spread of Confucian thought, these temples even extended beyond China’s borders. Through the vicissitudes of time, people have maintained a unique reverence for Confucius, and many Confucius Temples have been preserved across the country. The grand and majestic Deyang Confucius Temple is the most intact and largest-scale Confucius Temple in China’s southwestern region.

Sichuan’s Deyang Confucius Temple (also referred to as the Temple of Literature) is a well-preserved, grand-scale site in western China with strong local characteristics. In June 2001, it was designated by the State Council as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level.

The Deyang Confucius Temple was first built in the second year of the Kaixi era (1206) during the Southern Song Dynasty under Emperor Ningzong, originally located east of the city. It later collapsed due to years of neglect. In the first year of the Hongwu era (1368) of the Ming Dynasty, it was rebuilt at its current location in the southeast corner of the city and on South Street in the urban area of Deyang. After multiple renovations during the Chenghua, Hongzhi, and Wanli eras, it already featured structures such as palace walls, the Lingxing Gate, the Dacheng Gate, the Dacheng Hall (with three bays), the Chongsheng Shrine (with three bays), the East and West Side Halls (each with three bays), the Jie Xiao Shrine, the Xiao Zi Shrine, the Xiang Xian Shrine, the Ming Guan Shrine, and the Ming Lun Hall. It was later destroyed again by warfare in the late Ming Dynasty. In the eighteenth year of the Shunzhi era (1661) of the Qing Dynasty, it was rebuilt once more, with further construction and renovations carried out during the Kangxi, Qianlong, and Jiaqing eras. From the 28th year of the Daoguang era to the 5th year of the Xianfeng era (1848–1855),

a large-scale renovation was undertaken, and the existing structures largely reflect the layout from the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty.

Covering an area of 20,800 square meters, Deyang Confucius Temple consists of over 20 ancient buildings. The Temple of Literature faces south and features a symmetrical, axial-layout courtyard complex in three sections. The architectural layout centers around the Dacheng Hall, with a north-south central axis and symmetrical arrangements on both sides. From south to north along the central axis are: the Ten-Thousand-Ren Palace Wall (screen wall), the Lingxing Gate, the Pan Pond, the Pan Bridge, the Ji Gate (Dacheng Gate), the Liyue Pavilion, the Dacheng Hall, and the Qisheng Hall. On both sides are: "Virtue Matching Heaven and Earth," "Moral Integrity Surpassing All," the East and West Side Halls, the East and West Imperial Stele Pavilions, and the East and West Side Chambers. In front of the temple is the Temple of Literature Square, and to the north lies a rear garden.

The main structure of Deyang Confucius Temple, the Dacheng Hall, is situated in the central courtyard of the Temple of Literature. This grand, solemn, and magnificent building is the tallest, largest, and best-preserved ancient structure in the complex. Constructed in the 30th year of the Daoguang era (1850) of the Qing Dynasty, it serves as the principal building of the Temple of Literature. It is seven bays wide (33.97 meters), four bays deep (14.78 meters), and 21 meters tall, featuring a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof covered with yellow glazed tiles. The main ridge is adorned with flying dragons, with a precious bead at the center. Inside the hall are statues of Confucius, the Four Companions, and the Twelve Philosophers, as well as displays of ritual vessels, musical instruments, and ceremonial objects used in Confucius worship. These include candle stands, wine cups, tripods, offering trays, food containers, sacrificial utensils, and the traditional "Three Sacrificial Animals" (ox, sheep, and pig). There are also musical instruments used to perform the "Zhonghe Shaoyue" music during ceremonies, such as bianzhong (chime bells), bozhong (musical bells), bianqing (chime stones), teqing (special chime stones), guqin (zither), se (a twenty-five-stringed instrument), xiao (vertical flute), dizi (bamboo flute), xun (clay ocarina), drums, zhu (a musical signaling instrument), and yu (another signaling instrument). In front of the hall is a spacious worship platform where visitors can enjoy grand, elegant performances of ancient-style Confucius worship dances. Since the Qing Dynasty, major Confucius worship ceremonies were held twice a year, on the first Ding day of mid-spring and mid-autumn. Since 1990, Deyang Confucius Temple has restored the Confucius worship music and dance performances according to Qing Dynasty rituals and systems.

With its grand scale, complete architectural complex, rigorous layout, Deyang Confucius Temple stands as a representative structure of Confucius Temples in western China. The renowned ancient architecture expert Liang Sicheng remarked after visiting: “The architecture of Deyang Confucius Temple has strong local characteristics.” Another expert, Luo Zhewen, noted: “Deyang Confucius Temple is large in scale, well-preserved, and features highly distinctive characteristics, which are rare even nationwide.” The architecture of Deyang Confucius Temple holds an important position among Confucius Temples across the country. The four Liyue Pavilions are located on both sides of the central axis between the Dacheng Gate and the Dacheng Hall, aligned in a straight line. The inner two are double-eaved hexagonal pavilions, while the outer two are double-eaved square-hexagonal pavilions, each with a unique design unmatched elsewhere in the country. In the winter month of 1949, Marshal He Long, after attending the Deyang Liberation Ceremony at the temple, pointed to the Liyue Pavilions and said: “Such Liyue Pavilions are truly rare among Confucius Temples nationwide and must be well preserved.” The Ten-Thousand-Ren Palace Wall (screen wall) is 30 meters long and 11.64 meters high, taller than the screen wall at Beijing’s Confucius Temple, making it the tallest of its kind among county-level Confucius Temples in China. The Lingxing Gate is an octagonal five-bay, five-story stone memorial archway with soaring pillars, featuring a unique design and exquisite carvings, and is considered a masterpiece among southern-style Confucius Temple Lingxing Gates. The Pan Pond features three single-span stone arch bridges, with stepped arch surfaces. The middle bridge spans 14.9 meters, while the side bridges span 13.8 meters each, a rarity among other Confucius Temples. The “Virtue Matching Heaven and Earth” and “Moral Integrity Surpassing All” memorial archways are brick-made double-eaved structures, reflecting southern architectural styles and showcasing unique regional characteristics compared to the common wooden archways found in other county-level Confucius Temples. The rear garden of the Confucius Temple is well-preserved—an extremely rare feature among such sites.

Protected Area: East to the exterior wall of the Tea Garden and Ran Yunxuan of the current Temple of Literature; West to the exterior wall of the current Rear Garden and office area of the Temple of Literature; South to 25 meters south of the Ten-Thousand-Ren Palace Wall; North to the current northern wall of the Rear Garden.

Construction Control Zone: East to the west side of Wenmiao Street; West to the east side of Nanjie Road; South to the north side of Changjiang West Road; North to the south side of Chenghuangmiao Street.

Admission: 25 RMB

Confucius (551–479 BCE), whose given name was Qiu and courtesy name Zhongni, was a native of Zouyi (present-day southeastern Qufu, Shandong Province), in the State of Lu. He was a philosopher, educator, and statesman of the late Spring and Autumn period, the founder of the Confucian school of thought, 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 celebrities.

Confucius’ ancestors were descendants of Weizi Qi, the half-brother of King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty. Weizi Qi upheld the Shang ancestral sacrifices 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 there... More detailed information about Confucius ++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level