Qufu Mencius' Mother's Forest

　　Located 15 kilometers south of Qufu, Mencius' Mother's Forest is the burial site of Mencius’ mother, Lady Zhangshi, and some members of the Mencius clan. The entire cemetery spans an area of 578 mu, bordered to the west by Ma'an Mountain, which is covered with cypress and juniper trees from top to bottom. The ancient woods are lush and shady, and the forest is dotted with numerous burial mounds. On the eastern side of the graves stands a memorial hall.

　　 Jining City, Shandong Province

　　Mencius (372 BCE~289 BCE)　　Mencius (approximately 372–289 BCE), a philosopher, statesman, and educator of the Warring States period, was a representative figure of the Confucian School of Mencius. His given name was Ke, and his courtesy name was Ziyu. He was a native of Zou in the State of Lu (present-day southeastern Zoucheng, Shandong). Regarded as the successor to Confucius’ teachings, he is honored as the “Second Sage.” It is said that Mencius was a descendant of the noble Mengsun clan of the State of Lu. Orphaned at a young age and raised in poverty, he studied under a disciple of Zisi. After completing his studies, he traveled among the feudal lords as a scholar, attempting to promote his political ideals. He visited the states of Liang (Wei), Qi, Song, and Teng. Although he was once honored as a guest minister by King Xuan of Qi, he ultimately did not find acceptance. In his later years, he retired to teach and... More+