The birthplace of Confucian culture—explore the former residence of Confucius at Qufu’s Confucius Mansion, Temple, and Cemetery

By MOOK Travel Life Network, Li Xinyi | Compiled and Reported | Source: MOOK Editorial Department

September 28th is the birthday of Confucius. This year celebrates his 2562nd birth anniversary. The reverence held for the great sage, the Venerable Teacher Confucius, can be seen in the Confucius Temple and Mansion located in Qufu. The scale of the Confucius Temple rivals that of the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City and the Song Dynasty’s Tiankuang Hall in the Dai Temple. Countless imperial stone tablets bestowed by emperors throughout history are still preserved at its entrance, and the privileges granted to Confucius’ descendants were such that during the Qing Dynasty, they were even allowed to ride horses within the Forbidden City. The residence of Confucius was also extremely grand, even housing official government offices within the mansion. The Confucius Mansion, Confucius Temple, and the family cemetery, the Confucius Forest, are now listed as World Heritage Sites and are well-preserved in Qufu, just as Confucian culture has been passed down through generations without interruption in Taiwan.

The Confucius Temple

Confucius was a native of the State of Lu during the Spring and Autumn Period. At that time, the capital of Lu was located in Qufu, which is now Jining City in Shandong Province. Confucius was a great thinker, statesman, and educator. His Confucian teachings became an integral part of Chinese culture and have spread around the world. The Confucius Temple is where emperors and nobles throughout the dynasties paid tribute to Confucius, and its architecture is modeled after the imperial palace.

Also known as the “Temple of the Supreme Sage,” the Confucius Temple was first built in 478 BC, the year after Confucius’ death, under the order of Duke Ai of Lu. By the Song Dynasty, it had 360 rooms, and today it has 466 rooms, over 1,200 stone tablets, and covers an area of more than 300 acres, stretching 1 kilometer from north to south. The inscriptions on the gates, archways, and halls all come from Confucian classics, filled with reverence for Confucius and his teachings. The annual Confucius Worship Ceremony is held in the Dacheng Hall.

The Thirteen Stele Pavilions

This is the place dedicated to preserving imperial stone tablets, housing 55 tablets from the Tang, Song, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, with inscriptions in Chinese, Manchu, and Mongolian. The largest stone tablet is in the “Kangxi Stele Pavilion,” weighing 65 tons, erected by Emperor Kangxi. It was transported from Beijing to Qufu with the effort of over 600 oxen and more than 400 people.

The Dacheng Hall

The main hall of the Confucius Temple was built during the Song Dynasty, destroyed by fire in the Qing Dynasty, and rebuilt to the highest architectural standards. Along with the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City and the Song Dynasty’s Tiankuang Hall in the Dai Temple, it is known as one of the Three Great Halls of the East. The three characters “Dacheng Hall” were inscribed by Emperor Yongzheng, and the ten dragon pillars in front of the hall were carved in the Ming Dynasty. In the center of the Dacheng Hall is a statue of Confucius, and there are ten plaques inside, all written by emperors. “Model Teacher for All Ages” was inscribed by Emperor Kangxi, and “The Culture Lives Here” was written by Emperor Guangxu. The characters for “ghost” and “god” on the couplets are each missing a dot, symbolizing Confucius’ disbelief in spirits. Some say this was the way the characters were written in ancient times.