Menglin

　　Menglin is the burial ground of Mencius and his descendants, located at the southwestern foot of Sishiji Mountain, 12 kilometers northeast of Zoucheng. To the south lies Fuyi Mountain, and to the north towers Mount Tai. It is a well-preserved and relatively intact family cemetery. According to the "Record of the Construction of the Mencius Temple" stele from the fifth year of the Jingyou era of the Song Dynasty (1038 AD), housed in the Hall of Worship at Menglin: when Kong Daofu, the 45th-generation descendant of Confucius, served as governor of Yanzhou, he discovered Mencius’ tomb and established a temple in its vicinity (which was later moved to the county town). In the seventh year of the Yuanfeng era of the Song Dynasty (1084 AD), the imperial court allocated 300,000 coins from the treasury to renovate the tomb and temple, purchase ritual fields, and plant numerous cypress and juniper trees. In the 14th year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty (1277 AD), Huo Tianxiang, the criminal judge of Shandong, erected a stele in front of Mencius' tomb inscribed with “Tomb of the Former Teacher, Lord of Zou,” which no longer exists. The site underwent continuous expansion during the Ming and Qing dynasties. According to Records of the Three Moves · Forest and Tomb, in the 22nd year of the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty (1683 AD), the Shandong governor ordered an investigation through the Duke of Yansheng, confirming that the tomb fields of the Second Sage covered 730.4 mu. Over ten thousand trees of various species—such as cypress, juniper, elm, pagoda tree, Chinese hackberry, maple, oak, and poplar—are planted within the forest, most of which were planted during the Song, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. The main gate of the Hall of Worship at Menglin faces south, accessible via a spirit path and an imperial bridge. The existing Hall of Worship in the courtyard largely retains its original appearance, although the side chambers on either side have not been rebuilt since they collapsed long ago. Inside the Hall of Worship, six stone steles remain, including the "Record of the Construction of the Mencius Temple" stele erected in the fifth year of the Jingyou era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1038 AD), whose inscription was composed by Sun Fu of the Northern Song Dynasty. With a history of over 900 years, this is the oldest surviving stele related to the "Three Mengs" of Zou County and holds significant reference value for studying the historical traces of Mencius. Behind the Hall of Worship lies Mencius’ tomb, a grand mound surrounded by lush grass and dense woods. In front of the tomb stands a large stele inscribed with “Tomb of the Second Sage, Mencius.”

　　Approximately 300 meters northwest of Mencius’ tomb are three tall ancient burial mounds, traditionally believed to be the tombs of Mengsun, Jisun, and Shusun.

　　Mencius’ birthday falls on the second day of the fourth lunar month. To commemorate it, an annual grand traditional fair is held at Menglin from the second to the fifth day of the fourth lunar month, a tradition that continues to this day.

　　Mencius (372 BCE～289 BCE)　　Mencius (circa 372–289 BCE), a thinker, statesman, and educator of the Warring States period, was a representative figure of the Confucian Mencian school. His given name was Ke, and courtesy name Ziyu. He was a native of Zou in the State of Lu (present-day southeastern Zoucheng, Shandong Province). Regarded as the successor to Confucius’ teachings, he is honored as the “Second Sage.” Legend has it that Mencius was a descendant of the noble Mengsun clan of Lu. Orphaned in childhood and raised in poverty, he studied under a disciple of Zisi. After completing his studies, he traveled among various feudal states 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 was ultimately not employed. In his later years, he retired to teach and... Read More+