Changzhi Lucheng Confucius Temple

　　The Lucheng Confucius Temple is situated on the square in front of the Lucheng City Government, slightly to the east of the government building, and together with the Lucheng City Auditorium, forms the two unique buildings within the square — one in the Tang Dynasty style and the other in European style, making them particularly eye-catching.

　　It covers an area of about 2,000 square meters, and was first built during the Tianhui era of the Jin Dynasty. Having suffered from multiple earthquakes and wars, it has been repaired and expanded several times. After the liberation, it was repurposed as office space for the labor union and as a small parking area for government agencies. During the “Ten Years of Catastrophe,” its condition worsened further, and the so-called Confucius Temple was completely unrecognizable. After the reform and opening-up, governments at various levels carried out multiple renovations, investing over 2 million yuan in total, which restored it to its former glory — indeed, even surpassing it.

　　Today’s Lucheng Confucius Temple is simple yet elegant, magnificent and resplendent, and is a provincial-level key cultural relics protection unit. Upon entering through the Jimen (Pillared Gate), there is an auxiliary room on each side. The main structures inside the temple include the Dacheng Hall with five bays, and ten bays each for the east and west wing rooms. The Dacheng Hall sits on a moon platform surrounded by white marble railings on the east, west, and south sides, with painted rafters and brackets, and a roof fully covered with yellow glazed tubular tiles and ridge ornaments. The hall interior is solemn and dignified, with five newly sculpted large statues standing side by side on a more than one-meter-high platform — in the center is Confucius (the Greatest Sage), flanked by Yanzi (the Second Sage), Zengzi (the Exemplary Sage), Zisi (the Narrator Sage), and Mencius (the Second Exemplary Sage), all for worshippers to pay homage. The east and west walls are painted with 30 illustrations that depict examples of Confucius's dedication to teaching despite poverty and the essence of Confucian thought. Lucheng is the only county-level city in the Changzhi region, boasting a long history and outstanding people.

　　The temple faces south and originally had four courtyards. Along the central axis are, in sequence, a glazed screen wall (zhaobi), the Lingxing Gate archway, the Pan Pool stone bridge, the Chaomen (Dacheng Gate), the Dacheng Hall, and the Chongsheng Hall. On the east and west sides of each courtyard are the Shan Suo Tablet Courtyard, Zhongyi Official Courtyard, Mingfan Shrine, Xiangxian Shrine, East Corridor, and West Corridor. The front courtyard has two side gates opening east-west, with horse-dismounting steles erected outside each. Behind the Chongsheng Hall is a separate courtyard that houses the Xue Shu (academic office) and the Jie Xiao Shrine. The total area is over 2,000 square meters. The overall layout features a clear central axis, symmetrical design, majestic halls, and an ancient, imposing style. Currently, only the Jimen, Dacheng Hall, and East Corridor remain.

　　The Jimen, commonly known as the Dacheng Gate, is the current main gate of the Confucius Temple.

　　The Dacheng Gate is built on a 60-centimeter-high stone platform, with a width of three bays and a depth of four rafters, featuring a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. The corner posts are embedded within the wall. The eaves posts are connected by vertical railings, and the column-top plate lintels hold five-curved brackets. White marble railings, panels, balusters, handrails, aprons, and steps are installed on both sides of the front and rear platforms, all finely carved and tightly assembled. Blue plaques with gold characters reading “Dacheng Gate” are hung separately under the front and rear eaves, very eye-catching. On the left and right sides of the gate are a pair of tall, majestic, and lifelike white marble stone lions.

　　The Dacheng Hall is the oldest surviving wooden structure in the temple. In front of the hall is a high, broad, and flat moon platform with a square floor plan. The edge of the platform is fitted with white marble railings, panels, and balusters, with a central imperial path inlaid with a bas-relief of two dragons playing with a pearl, and double-layered five-step stairs on both sides laid out neatly. An incense burner made of white marble is placed at the front of the platform. The main hall is built on a 1-meter-high stone platform, with five bays in width and three in depth, supported by six rafters. It has a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. The column bases are of the inverted basin type, carved with large lotus petals in a rather rough style, characteristic of the Jin and Yuan periods. The wooden pillars in the front eaves are thick and upright, with a distinct upward tilt. The brackets are four-tiered with a single ang, and the corner brackets feature 45-degree diagonal ang, all robust and powerful. A blue plaque with golden characters reading “Dacheng Hall” hangs prominently under the middle eave. Inside the hall, two front gold pillars are painted with vivid designs of dragons coiling amid clouds and surging tides, showcasing exquisite brushwork and dynamic energy. The beams are naturally curved, with square pillars in the middle bay and round ones in the side bays. The roof is decorated with red glazed ridge ornaments, tubular tiles, and board tiles, with orderly and vividly shaped decorations on the ridge apex and upthrust ridges. Four corner deities hang in mid-air, majestic and solemn, with wind chimes tinkling, exuding the charm of an ancient temple. At the center of the hall’s deity platform stands a statue of Confucius, holding a court tablet and seated upright. On either side are statues of his disciples and descendants such as Kong Ji, Zeng Shen, and Yan Hui. Each painted statue is solemn and dignified. The three surrounding walls have recently been painted with large murals promoting Confucius’s legacy, including “Balancing the Six Arts,” “The Great Sage’s Vast Knowledge,” “Three Thousand Disciples,” and “Teaching at the Confucius School.” These murals are well arranged, in soft colors, with interwoven stories and rich content.

　　The temple grounds house five inscribed stelae from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties granting titles and recording renovations, as well as ten epitaphs unearthed in recent years, all available for viewing and research. It has now been converted into the site of the Lucheng City Cultural Relics and Museum Management Office.

　　Contact number: 0355-6762246

　　Address: On the square in front of the Lucheng City Government

　　Nearby service facilities: Parking is available near the square; refueling can be done at Sihai Fuel City in the city; nearby hospitals are the City Workers’ Hospital and the City Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital; nearby are Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of China, and China Construction Bank.

　　Transportation: Take bus No. 13 from downtown Changzhi directly to Lucheng City; bus No. 13 stops at the square in front of the government. To get to Lizhuang Confucius Temple from within Lucheng City, take a taxi, with the initial fare at 4 yuan.

　　Confucius (551 BCE～479 BCE)　　 Confucius (551–479 BCE), whose given name was Qiu and courtesy name Zhongni, was a native of Zouyi, Changping (present-day southeastern Qufu, Shandong Province). He was a thinker, educator, and statesman in the late Spring and Autumn period, the founder of Confucianism, and one of the most influential figures in Chinese history and culture. His influence extends globally, especially across Southeast Asia, making him one of the world’s cultural icons. Confucius’s ancestors were Wei Zi Qi, the half-brother of King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty, who presided over the Shang rituals and was enfeoffed in Song. His sixth-generation ancestor, Kong Fu Jia, was the first to adopt the surname Kong. His fifth-generation ancestor, Mu Jin Fu, sought refuge in Lu and later settled in Zouyi. His father, Shu Liang He, was a renowned warrior in Lu, famous for his bravery among the feudal lords, and in his later... More+