Temple of Yan Hui

　　Yan Hui, courtesy name Ziyuan, was one of Confucius’s most accomplished disciples. Despite coming from a poor family, he was deeply committed to his studies and was consistently praised by Confucius, who said of his dedication to learning: “He does not transfer his anger; he does not repeat his faults. He lives on a single bowl of rice and a gourdful of water in a humble lane. While others might find such conditions unbearable, Yan Hui never loses his joy. Such is the virtue of Yan Hui.” Yan Hui was also renowned among Confucius’s disciples for his moral character.

　　In the second year of the Zhenguan era during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang, Yan Hui was honored as the “Former Teacher.” During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, he was posthumously titled “Duke of Chongguo,” and in the Yuan Dynasty, he was further granted the title “Duke of Chongguo, the Second Sage.” From then on, Yan Hui came to be respectfully known as the “Second Sage,” and the Temple of Yan Hui was also called the “Temple of the Second Sage.” The temple has five courtyards and covers an area of 85 mu. It includes 159 structures such as halls, chambers, pavilions, storehouses, and ceremonial gates. Major buildings within the temple include the Gate of the Second Sage, the Gate of Humanity, the Gate of Reverence, the Well of the Humble Lane, the Pavilion of Joy, the Hall of the Second Sage, and stele pavilions, all of which were originally built during the Yuan Dynasty.

　　Inside the Gate of the Second Sage lies the Well of the Humble Lane, surrounded by an octagonal open-air square pavilion. To the north of the well stands a stone stele erected during the Ming Dynasty, inscribed with the words “Well of the Humble Lane,” commemorating Yan Hui’s frugal virtues of “living on a single bowl of rice, a gourdful of water, in a humble lane.” The Hall of the Second Sage is the main hall. The east and west side halls enshrine later virtuous members of the Yan family, such as Yan Zhitui, Yan Zhenqing, and Yan Shigu.

　　There are over 60 stone tablets and steles in the Temple of Yan Hui. Among them are two erected during the Yuan Dynasty: the “Yuan Dynasty Imperial Edict for the Construction of the New Temple of the Former Teacher, Duke of Chongguo, the Second Sage” and the “Yuan Dynasty Imperial Decree on the Posthumous Honors for the Parents of Yan Hui.” Both steles are inscribed in both ancient Mongolian and Chinese, documenting the honors bestowed upon Yan Hui and his parents at that time, which holds certain value for the study of ancient scripts. On June 25, 2001, the Temple of Yan Hui, as an ancient architectural site dating from the Yuan to Qing Dynasties, was approved by the State Council to be included in the fifth group of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level.

　　Admission: 10 yuan

　　Open all year

　　You can walk north along Gulou Street from the Confucius Mansion, or take Bus No. 1 or a rickshaw to get there.