Jinzhuang Confucius Temple

Jinzhuang Confucius Temple

Jinzhuang Confucius Temple is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Jinzhuang Confucius Temple

Jinzhuang Confucius Temple (Sixth Batch National Heritage Site)

Period: Yuan to Qing Dynasty

Address: West of Jinzhuang Village, Yebi Township, 5 km east of Pingyao County

Established in the second year of the Yuanyou era (1315) during the Yuan Dynasty, it underwent several renovations during the Ming Wanli, Qing Qianlong, Jiaqing, and Xianfeng eras, and was restored in the 11th year of the Republic of China (1922).

The temple faces south and consists of two courtyards. There are six existing halls, covering an area of 1,056.4 square meters, with a built-up area of 406.4 square meters. The central axis features structures such as the Dacheng Hall, Minglun Hall, and Pan Pond. Side rooms are located on the east and west sides.

At the front of the temple is the Minglun Hall, which has three bays, a front porch, and a flush gable roof. The side rooms on the east and west of the front courtyard each have three bays with single-slope flush gable roofs. Between the front and rear courtyards is the Pan Pond, with a Scholar’s Bridge built over it. To the west of the pond are four side rooms, and to the east stands a “Five-Clawed Cypress” tree.

The Dacheng Hall dates back to the seventh year of the Jiaqing era (1802) during the Qing Dynasty. It is three bays wide, three rafters deep, and has a single-eave flush gable roof. Inside the hall are 15 painted clay statues of Confucius, the “Four Companions,” and the “Ten Wise Ones,” all created during the Yuan Dynasty.

Confucius (551–479 BC), whose given name was Qiu and courtesy name Zhongni, was a native of Zouyi, Changping, Lu State (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. He also had a significant impact worldwide, especially in Southeast Asian countries, and is recognized as a world cultural figure.

Confucius’s ancestors were Weizi Qi, the half-brother of King Zhou of the late Shang Dynasty. Qi inherited the worship of the Shang and was enfeoffed in 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 Lu and later settled in Zou, Lu... More details about Confucius++

Further reading:

· Sixth Batch National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units