The Golden Sound and Jade Vibration Memorial Archway

　　The first gate archway of the Confucius Temple. Built in the 17th year of the Ming Jiajing reign (1538 AD), it stands 5.6 meters tall and 13.5 meters wide. It is a three-bay, four-pillar stone memorial archway topped with round-carved crouching beasts. This archway is named after Mencius’s praise of Confucius: “Confucius may be called the one who has brought together all that is good.” “Bringing together all that is good” means “a sound of metal begins it, and a sound of jade ends it.” “Golden sound” and “jade vibration” represent the complete process of a musical performance, symbolizing how Confucius’s thoughts synthesized the greatness of ancient sages, achieving perfect harmony and making great contributions to culture.