Meicheng Confucius Temple

　　    Meicheng was originally the county seat of Anhua and the birthplace of Meishan culture. Confucius is revered as the greatest sage and teacher in Chinese culture. In ancient times, every county built a temple to honor and worship Confucius, which is why the Confucian Temple of Anhua was established in Meicheng. The Meicheng Confucius Temple is located beneath the Yishui and Ziyun mountains. Constructed during the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty (i.e., 1822 AD), it was originally named Chongsheng Shrine and also known as the Confucian Temple. It has a history of 180 years.

　　    The architecture of the Meicheng Confucius Temple combines the typical style of Confucian temples with the distinctive features of the mountainous region of Anhua. The layout is rigorous, the construction is exquisite, the exterior is grand and majestic, while the interior is serene and solemn. Covering a total area of 3,111 square meters, the temple is enclosed by high walls and divided into three sections. The front courtyard features the Lingxing Gate, and in front of the courtyard lies a crescent-shaped pool known as the Pan Pond, also called the Moonlight Pond. Several lush and upright phoenix trees grow by the pond. The middle courtyard has three gates: the central one is the Dacheng Gate, tall and imposing, flanked by the smaller Jinsheng Gate on the left and Yuzhen Gate on the right. Upon entering, one’s gaze is drawn to the Dacheng Hall, situated atop a high platform. As the main structure of the Confucian Temple, the Dacheng Hall features upturned eaves, dragons and phoenixes carved along the beams, and yellow glazed tiles on the roof, giving it a dignified, classic, and majestic appearance.

　　    During the Song Dynasty, the emperor honored Confucius as the “Great Achiever who synthesized the wisdom of all ancient sages,” hence the main hall of the Confucian Temple is revered as the Dacheng Hall. At the center of the hall is enshrined the spirit tablet of “Dacheng Zhisheng Xianshi Confucius,” flanked by tablets of Confucius’ disciples and virtuous scholars. A golden plaque inscribed with the words “Wanshi Shibiao” (Model Teacher for All Generations), handwritten by Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, hangs high in the hall for posterity to worship. Behind the Dacheng Hall lies the rear courtyard, which is the shrine of Mencius, the Second Sage. The courtyard includes a patio, an altar, stone pedestals, stone benches, and a golden osmanthus tree that blooms yellow flowers—so that Mencius might smell the floral fragrance instead of bamboo.

　　    Another reason the Meicheng Confucian Temple is so admired is that the great leader Mao Zedong visited the temple twice around 1925 and even stayed overnight, using the site to promote Marxism-Leninism and the peasant movement. He kindled the spark of revolution in the mountainous region of Anhua within these temple grounds. Therefore, today’s visitors come to the Confucius Temple not only to pay tribute to Confucius but also to remember Mao Zedong.

　　

　　Confucius (551 BC~479 BC)　　     Confucius (551–479 BC), whose given name was Qiu and courtesy name Zhongni, was a native of Zouyi, Changping (present-day southeastern Qufu, Shandong Province). 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. His impact extends globally, especially across Southeast Asia, making him one of the world’s cultural icons. Confucius’ ancestors were from the royal house of the Yin-Shang dynasty. His earliest known ancestor was Weizi Qi, the half-brother of the tyrant King Zhou of Shang, who inherited the Shang lineage 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 later settled in Zouyi. His father, Shuliang He, was a renowned warrior of Lu known for his bravery and strength among the feudal lords... More+