Temple of Mencius

　　The Temple of Mencius, also known as the Temple of the Second Sage, is a temple dedicated to the worship of Mencius through the dynasties. Covering an area of approximately 24,000 square meters, its scale is second only to that of the Confucius Temple and it is one of the oldest and best-preserved ancient architectural complexes in Shandong Province. It is divided into five courtyards from front to back, featuring the Lingxing Gate, the Second Sage Temple Archway, the Mount Tai Atmosphere Gate, the Sacrificial Animal Office, the Ritual Utensil Storage, and the Kangxi Tablet Pavilion. Starting from the third courtyard, the layout branches into left, center, and right sections: the central path includes the Chengsheng Gate, with the Hall of the Second Sage, the Sleeping Hall, side halls, the Heavenly Thunder Well, and the Qianlong Tablet Pavilion; the eastern path has the Qixian Gate, with the Hall of Enlightening Sage and the Sleeping Hall of the Enlightening Sage; the western path features the Zhijing Gate, with the Hall of Solemnity, the Ancestral Shrine, and the Silk Burning Pool. The north-south axis runs straight, with symmetrical buildings on the left and right, arranged in a dynamic and varied layout that fully reflects the characteristics of ancient temple architecture.

　　The worship of Mencius began in the fourth year of the Jingyou era of the Song Dynasty (1037 AD). Initially built 13 kilometers northeast of Zoucheng City at the southwestern foot of Siji Mountain, in front of Mencius’s tomb. According to the inscription on the "Record of the Construction of the New Temple of Mencius" stele from the fifth year of Jingyou (1038 AD) housed in the Xianglin Hall of the Temple of Mencius: this temple was established by Kong Daofu, the 45th-generation descendant of Confucius. Later, due to its distance from the city and the inconvenience it caused for worship and visits, another Temple of Mencius was built in the eastern suburbs of Zoucheng, marking the first temple in the city. The exact location, size, and date of construction of this temple are no longer clearly documented. In the third year of the Xuanhe era of the Song Dynasty (1121 AD), the Temple of Mencius was rebuilt at its current site. The current Temple of Mencius is also not the original structure built in the Xuanhe era; it has undergone dozens of renovations and expansions over the Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties to reach its present scale.

　　The current Temple of Mencius is located in the southern part of Zoucheng City and is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit. It lies east of Wenxian Hill, west of the Beijing-Shanghai Railway, north of the Yinli Canal, and south of the Zouji Highway. The urban area surrounds it to the north, while the majestic Fuyi Mountains stand tall to the south, resembling a painted screen. The temple is shaded by ancient trees and dotted with stone tablets, enclosed by red walls. According to a Yuan Dynasty stele commemorating the renovation of the temple during the Yuanzhen era, the temple grounds covered 19.4 mu. In 1964, the Zou County Cultural Relics Preservation Office conducted a survey: from north to south, the distance from the northern wall of the temple to the river in front measures 458.5 meters, with the wall-enclosed area spanning 317.5 meters; from east to west, from the western wall to the cypress trees outside the eastern wall, it measures 95 meters, with the enclosed area at 85 meters. The total area is 65.3 mu.

　　The Temple of Mencius is a rectangular ancient architectural complex consisting of five courtyards, centered around the square-shaped Hall of the Second Sage. The north-south axis runs through the complex, with symmetrical layouts on both sides, though some areas have been adjusted according to the terrain. Each courtyard advances in sequence, with varied and undulating layouts, each unique in design, fully reflecting the characteristics of ancient architecture.

　　The main southern gate of the temple is called the “Lingxing Gate.” “Lingxing” refers to the heavenly star Tianzhen, which emperors worshipped before offering sacrifices to heaven. Naming the first gate of the Temple of Mencius after Lingxing signifies the reverence for Mencius akin to heaven. The Lingxing Gate is grand and solemn; during the feudal era, it was only opened on the second and eighth lunar months for major ceremonies honoring Mencius or when imperial envoys visited, remaining closed at other times. It now serves as the main entrance to the temple. On either side of the gate stand wooden archways supported by brackets, the left labeled “Continuing the Sage” and the right “Opening Learning,” commemorating Mencius’s role in “inheriting the past and ushering in the future” in Confucian studies. These three wooden archways were constructed during the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty when the temple was renovated.

　　Entering the Lingxing Gate leads to the first courtyard of the Temple of Mencius, where the “Hall of the Second Sage” archway can be seen at the center of the northern wall—this is the second gate. This four-pillared, three-door archway features octagonal pillars adorned with ancient vases and cloud motifs resembling ornamental columns. The central plaque bears the bold characters “Temple of the Second Sage”; the left lintel features carved dragons amidst clouds, while the right lintel shows winged dragons soaring through the clouds. To the east of the stone archway stands a stele erected in the ninth year of the Wanli era titled "Temple of the Second Sage of Zou State." This indicates the archway was originally the main gate of the Temple of Mencius during the Ming Dynasty, built prior to the stele. Passing through the stone archway leads to the second courtyard. Ancient trees here are lush, shading the sky—most of these pines and cypresses are over 800 years old, yet remain upright despite the passage of time. Ancient scholars praised the trees of the Temple of Mencius with verses such as “The forest of pines and cypresses veiled in mist” and “The emotional depth of pines and cypresses amid clouds,” vividly capturing their character. The great calligrapher Dong Qichang once composed a poem specifically about the ancient cypresses: “I love the trees of this Mencius shrine, standing solemn, exemplifying grace. Their roots nourished by clear Zhuoshui waters, their spirit touched by the sacred Yi Mountains. Through ages they’ve weathered Qin script, towering high to meet Lu’s blue. Thus I know even scattered trees gain long life, recorded in immortal lore.” Walking north along the brick-paved path under the ancient cypresses leads to the “Yimen” (Ceremonial Gate). This is a grand gatehouse with a hip-and-gable roof supported by brackets and three doorways. The central plaque hangs vertically with the characters “Atmosphere of Mount Tai,” hence it is also called the “Mount Tai Atmosphere Gate.”

　　Beyond the Yimen lies the third courtyard of the Temple of Mencius. On the east and west sides of the courtyard are gates used for regular access. Originally named “Zhongling Gate” and “Yuxiu Gate,” they were renamed “Zhiyan Gate” and “Yangqi Gate” during the fourth year of the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty, inspired by Mencius’s sayings “Recognize the fallacies in flowery words...” and “I am good at nourishing my vast qi...”. South of each gate are the “Ritual Utensil Storage” and “Sacrificial Animal Office.” According to the "Record of the Renovation of the Temple of Master Mencius" from the third year of the Tianqi era: “In February of the third year of Tianqi, three rooms each were built for the Ritual Utensil Storage and the Sacrificial Animal Office.” These structures were used specifically for storing ritual items and offerings. Three gates stand abreast in the northern part of the courtyard: the central one is the “Chengsheng Gate”; the eastern one is the “Qixian Gate”; the western one is the “Zhijing Gate.” From here, the Temple of Mencius is divided into eastern, western, and central sections. In front of the Chengsheng Gate stands a large and magnificent tablet pavilion with double eaves, brackets, glazed tiles, gold-plated paintings, and luxurious décor. Inside is the Kangxi Emperor’s “Imperial Tablet for the Temple of Mencius” from the Qing Dynasty, hence it is called the Kangxi Calligraphy Pavilion. The top of the stele is carved with relief images of auspicious clouds and two dragons playing with a pearl, showcasing exquisite craftsmanship and lifelike detail. The base is a huge monster with a lion head, turtle back, eagle claws, and snake tail. This is the largest surviving stone stele in the Temple of Mencius. The inscription is neatly written in elegant calligraphy, personally inscribed by the Kangxi Emperor in April of the 26th year of his reign. To the east of the pavilion stand several stone tablets, including those commemorating “Where Mencius’s Mother Cut the Loom,” “Where Zisi Wrote the Doctrine of the Mean,” “The Temple of Mencius’s Mother Moving Three Times,” as well as the Qianlong Emperor’s “Eulogy on Zisi” and a stone carving of Zisi.

　　Entering the Chengsheng Gate leads to the fourth courtyard of the Temple of Mencius, also its central courtyard. Here stands the “Qianlong Imperial Tablet Pavilion,” housing the Qianlong Emperor’s handwritten “Eulogy on the Second Sage Mencius.” Within the courtyard is a well, and according to an inscribed stone nearby: “In the 11th year of Qianlong, during a performance in front of the temple, a thunderous sound suddenly erupted at noon. Those who heard it turned pale, seeing a round depression in the steps ahead—on closer inspection, it was a well,” hence it is called the Heavenly Thunder Well. The stone railing around the well today was built in the 11th year of the Daoguang era. A Qing Dynasty poet, Ge Linxu, once wrote a poem titled “Inscription on the Heavenly Thunder Well”: “An ancient well ripples near the shrine, heaven-shocking and stone-splitting, its water fragrant. Drawing its fathomless depths with a long rope, its source flows long with the waters of Zhu and Si.” This well is located right in front of the “Hall of the Second Sage.”

　　The Hall of the Second Sage is the main structure of the Temple of Mencius. The hall is 17 meters high, 20.48 meters deep, and 27.7 meters wide. The hall was initially built in the third year of the Xuanhe era of the Song Dynasty. According to inscriptions within the hall, it was created by Xu ? and Zhu Fu, and underwent multiple renovations through the Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. In the seventh year of the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty, a major earthquake struck southern Shandong, causing the original hall to collapse. Therefore, the current hall was built in the 11th year of the Kangxi era. The present Hall of the Second Sage is a resplendent, carved, and painted palace-style building with double eaves and upturned corners. Massive stone pillars supporting the eaves are adorned with shallow reliefs; the four pillars on the side of the door feature winged dragons soaring through clouds, vivid and rare. Other surfaces are carved with peony or lotus patterns. These massive pillars were made during a Ming Dynasty renovation of the temple. The beams and caisson ceilings are decorated with gold-laminated cloud-and-dragon designs. Between the double eaves above the main entrance hangs a plaque inscribed with the golden characters “Hall of the Second Sage.” The central door lintel displays a horizontal plaque reading “Expounding the Way of Ni Mountain.” The hall is supported by eight massive vermilion wooden pillars. The two pillars facing the entrance hold a large couplet: “In respecting the king’s words, one must speak of Yao and Shun; in worrying for the world, one shares the heart of Yu and Yan.” Both the couplet and the plaque were handwritten by the Qianlong Emperor. At the center of the hall, within a carved and gilded dragon shrine, sits a statue of Mencius wearing a nine-tiered crown and robes. On the eastern side is a golden plaque inscribed with “Preserving the Past and Awaiting the Future,” handwritten by the Yongzheng Emperor. In addition to commemorating Mencius, this hall also serves as a museum of ancient art, encompassing architecture, carving, casting, and painting, reflecting the grandeur of the “Dacheng Hall” at the Confucius Temple in Qufu.

　　The side halls on the east and west in front of the Hall of the Second Sage were originally used to enshrine Mencius’s disciples and scholars who contributed to the study of Confucian-Mencian thought through the dynasties. Behind the Hall of the Second Sage is the five-bay, hip-and-gable style “Sleeping Hall” of the Temple of Mencius. Built in the first year of the Yuanshen era of the Yuan Dynasty, it was originally called the “Temple of the Duke of Zou State,” dedicated to Mencius’s parents. During the 10th year of the Hongzhi era of the Ming Dynasty, when the temple was expanded, it was converted into the Sleeping Hall, becoming a dedicated shrine for Mencius’s wife, Lady Tian. The three ancient cypresses on the terrace and path in front of the hall were planted during the Xuanhe era of the Northern Song Dynasty, over 900 years ago, and remain lush and green.

　　The eastern section of the Temple of Mencius: stepping through the Qixian Gate, the path is lined with dense stone tablets, serving as the centralized storage area for various temple steles, commonly known as the “Temple of Mencius Stele Forest.” At the end of the path lies the Hall of Enlightening Sage, a five-bay, single-eave, hip-and-gable structure. The shrine inside houses a statue of Mencius’s father, Meng Sun Ji. Since Mencius’s father was honored as the Duke of Zhu State in the third year of the Yanyou era of the Yuan Dynasty, the hall was originally called the “Duke of Zhu State Hall,” later renamed the Hall of Enlightening Sage. Behind it is the “Temple of Mencius’s Mother,” which contains no statue but a wooden spirit tablet in the central shrine, inscribed with “Seat of the Exemplary Madam of Zou State, Lady Xuanfan.” On the eastern wall shrine is a stone carving of Mencius, unearthed during the renovation of Mencius’s Mother’s Tomb by Kong Daofu in the Jing? era of the Song Dynasty, and named the “Stone Carving of Mencius.”

　　Passing through the Zhijing Gate leads into the western section of the Temple of Mencius. Directly north is a gate called the “Fasting Gate,” beyond which lies a serene and elegant small courtyard. The inner and outer walls of the courtyard are inlaid with over 50 stone tablets, mostly poems and inscriptions by historical literati and scholars who visited the Temple of Mencius. Inside the Fasting Gate, a pair of ancient, towering ginkgo trees—one male, one female—stand on the east and west sides, their foliage shading the entire courtyard. An ancient wisteria vine twists and climbs around the trunks, reaching the treetops, forming one of the temple’s unique sights. This courtyard is known as the “Zhiyan Hall” courtyard. The hall has three bays and served as the place where Mencius’s direct descendants bathed and changed clothes before ancestral worship. It was originally called the “Fasting Lodging.”

　　Behind the Zhiyan Hall lies the “Ancestral Spirit Shrine,” the family temple of the Mencius clan. The three-bay shrine was built in the 10th year of the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty and houses wooden spirit tablets of the Mencius lineage from five generations above the second ancestor. Behind the Ancestral Spirit Shrine is a small courtyard with a brick platform topped by a stone-carved pool used for burning silk-written sacrificial texts during rituals, hence called the “Silk Burning Pool.”

　　The Temple of Mencius is not only renowned for its ancient architecture but also preserves over 270 stone tablets from the Qin, Han, Jin, Tang, Song, Jin, Yuan, and Ming dynasties. Though millennia have passed, most remain well preserved and are highly valued by scholars. These tablets feature exquisitely written scripts in regular, cursive, clerical, and seal styles. Among them, the Western Han Dynasty’s “Lai Zi Hou Carved Stone” from the third year of the Tianfeng era, the Eastern Han Dynasty’s “Shiqiang Village Carved Stone,” the Western Jin Dynasty’s “Liu Bao Epitaph” from the second year of the Yongkang era, and the Yuan Dynasty’s imitation of the Qin Dynasty’s Li Si Small Seal Script “Yishan Carved Stone” are all rare treasures. Additionally, the temple houses over 100 Han Dynasty stone reliefs, stone figures, stone beasts, and Yuan Dynasty coiled dragon relief stone pillars, all adding beauty and splendor to the ancient Temple of Mencius.

　　Mencius (372 BCE~289 BCE)　　Mencius (circa 372–289 BCE), a philosopher, statesman, and educator of the Warring States period, was a representative figure of the Confucian Mencian school; his given name was Ke, courtesy name Ziyu, and he was a native of Zou in the State of Lu (present-day southeastern Zoucheng, Shandong). He is regarded as the successor to Confucius’s teachings and is honored as the “Second Sage.” Legend has it 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, and 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+