Xinyu Confucius Temple

　　Xinyu Confucius Temple

　　　　The Confucius Temple, with the Kui Xing Pavilion to its east and the Yuan River to its south, is located on the campus of Xinyu No. 2 Middle School. It was first built during the Dali era (766–779) of the Tang Dynasty by Magistrate Du Zhen, featuring a Hall of Great Achievement with five bays and eight interior pillars. Over time, it experienced multiple cycles of decline and revival. To promote scholarship and reverence for Confucius, the temple underwent 19 restorations from the Song to the Qing dynasties, with records left by twelve individuals including Li Dayou, Xie E, and Zhang Ying. The Confucius Temple complex includes the Lingxing Gate, Number One Scholar Bridge, Pan Pond, Dacheng Gate, east and west side halls, the Hall of Great Achievement, official quarters, and the Hall of Enlightenment, all enclosed within a surrounding wall. The main structure, the Hall of Great Achievement, features a plaque in front inscribed with the three characters “Dacheng Dian” (Hall of Great Achievement). Hung high above the hall are seven imperial plaques bestowed by seven emperors from the Kangxi to the Tongzhi reigns, inscribed with phrases such as “Model Teacher for All Ages,” “Never Before Has There Been Such a Life,” “Equal to Heaven and Earth,” “The Sage’s Complete Virtue,” “The Sage Harmonizes with Time,” “Virtue Matches the Universe,” and “Divine and Heaven-Inspired.” The two gates of the surrounding wall are hung with plaques reading “Sage of All Times” and “Virtue Matches Heaven and Earth.” Since the late Qing Dynasty, the temple gradually fell into disrepair. By the time of the 1982 cultural relics survey, apart from the surviving Hall of Great Achievement, Dacheng Gate, and the side halls, most auxiliary buildings and cultural artifacts had been destroyed. To prevent the temple from vanishing entirely, restoration began in April 1987. After restoration, the temple has a total width of 21.5 meters, a depth of 60.25 meters, and a height of 14.6 meters. Its main structure, the Hall of Great Achievement, covers an area of about 500 square meters. The architectural style of the entire Confucius Temple preserves the characteristics of Qing Dynasty Confucian temple design.