The Confucius Temple and Jade Emperor Pavilion

　　   The Confucius Temple and Jade Emperor Pavilion in Guide are located in Heyin Town, Guide County, Qinghai Province, covering an area of 40,700 square meters with a built-up area of 4,901 square meters. It is an ancient architectural complex integrating Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, comprising six courtyards—the Confucius Temple, Great Buddha Temple, Jade Emperor Pavilion, Guan-Yue Temple, City God Temple, and the People's Education Hall—as well as the ancient city of Guide and the old military drill ground. The Confucius Temple and Jade Emperor Pavilion are the most representative structures among the existing Ming and Qing dynasty ancient buildings in Guide County.

　　   Historical records state that in the 17th year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1589), to consolidate rule, cultivate public morality, and ensure “the eternal stability of the empire and prosperity through the years,” it was decided to “select a site within the city to construct the Holy Jade Emperor Pavilion.” The project was completed after four years. The Confucius Temple includes twelve individual structures such as the Lingxing Gate, Pan Pond, Shrine of Local Worthies and Eminent Officials, Shrine of the Seventy-Two Sages, and the Dacheng Hall. Among them, the Dacheng Hall enshrines the spirit tablet of Confucius, the great sage of the Chinese nation, and has long been a place where scholars worship Confucius and...

　　   The Jade Emperor Pavilion in Guide is a relic of ancient Ming and Qing dynasty architecture. Its construction began in the 20th year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1592), was expanded in the 17th year of the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty (1837), and rebuilt during the Guangxu era (1875–1908). The temples are closely situated, covering a total area of 61 mu, with a total built-up area of 4,915 square meters. There are currently 11 main halls, 46 side chambers on the east and west sides, 4 bell and drum towers, 1 memorial archway, 23 pavilion corridors, 62 square meters of Ming and Qing dynasty murals, and 940 square meters of Ming and Qing dynasty architectural paintings. The ancient architectural complex of the Jade Emperor Pavilion in Guide integrates Confucianism, Taoism, and deities, transcending sectarian divisions and coexisting harmoniously—an extremely rare layout in China. The temple courtyards are symmetrically arranged along a central axis, with grand and majestic halls and side rooms exuding a magnificent aura.

　　   The ancient architectural complex of the Jade Emperor Pavilion in Guide is grand in scale and has a long history, possessing significant historical, cultural, and architectural artistic value. The Jade Emperor Pavilion complex includes the mountain gate, passageway hall, east and west side halls, and the Jade Emperor Pavilion itself. The mountain gate is a central-pillar flush-gable building, with a full-width door installed along the central seam of the main bay, walls on both sides, forming open corridors in the front and back. The passageway hall is also a flush-gable structure, three bays wide, with a divided central pillar and open corridors in the front and rear. The Jade Emperor Pavilion, also known as the Wanshou Temple, is the foremost structure of the entire complex, hailed as the “Immortal Pavilion Piercing the Clouds.” It stands 26 meters tall, giving the impression of rising from the heavens. The base is square, with a foundation platform 1.4 meters high, atop which sits a 9.9-meter-high brick-faced earthen platform, supporting a three-story pavilion. The entire wooden structure features interlocking mortise-and-tenon joints, with rational load distribution and even pressure bearing, making the structure extremely sturdy.

　　   Each floor features dragon and phoenix floral panels decorating the lintels below, while the first floor’s doorway is flanked by six finely carved brick reliefs of floral motifs, rich in symbolism. The green-tiled hip-and-gable roof is fully adorned with ornamental ridge creatures. At the center of the main ridge sit three figures—a blue lion, a white elephant, and a treasure vase—reflecting characteristics of ancient northern Chinese architecture. Coupled with regionally distinctive architectural paintings, the entire structure appears splendid and magnificent. The Jade Emperor Pavilion belongs to Taoism, and its three-story pavilion enshrines the “Heavens” on the top floor with the spirit tablet of the Jade Emperor, the “Earth” on the middle floor with the spirit tablet of the Earth God, and the “People” on the bottom floor with the imperial spirit tablet. The worship of “Heaven, Earth, and People” embodies the profound concept of “harmony between man and nature.”

　　   In addition to the Jade Emperor Pavilion and the Confucius Temple, the Ming and Qing dynasty ancient architectural complex in Guide also includes the Guan-Yue Temple, which enshrines the three deities Guan Yu, Yue Fei, and Mazu; the Han-style architecture of the Great Buddha Temple, a Tibetan Buddhist monastery; and the City God Temple, which still retains 20 square meters of murals from the Guangxu era of the Qing Dynasty.

　　   In June 2001, the Confucius Temple and Jade Emperor Pavilion in Guide were designated as part of the fifth group of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level by the State Council.

　　Confucius (551 BCE~479 BCE)　　    Confucius (551–479 BCE), whose given name was Qiu and courtesy name Zhongni, was a native of Zouyi, Changping (present-day southeastern Qufu, Shandong Province). 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 from the Wei clan, the half-brother of the tyrant King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty. Wei, who upheld the Shang ancestral rites, 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 Lu for refuge and later settled in Zouyi, Lu. His father, Shu Liang He, was a renowned warrior of Lu, famed for his bravery and strength among the feudal lords, and in his later years... Read More+