Shangdong: Confucian Temple

Located in the center of Qufu City, China’s east Shandong Province, north of Shanghai, and South of Xian, Confucian Temple (“Kong miao” in Chinese)is the earliest temple built to commemorate the great philosopher Confucius. Originally built in 478 BC, with Confucius former residence as the basis, and built according to the specific for imperial palaces, it is one of the three ancient building complexes in China.

If you are planing Beijing-Xian tour, then Confucian Temple is a must-see attraction along the trip. Covering an area of 50 acres, it consists of 9 yards inside the complex, among which each has its own characters. The main buildings along the middle route are Kuiwen Pavillion, Thirteen Stele Pavilion, Xingtan Pavilion, Dacheng Hall, Hall of Confucius' Wife and Shengji Hall, among which the Dacheng Palace and the Kuiwen Cabinet are the most important buildings. Same with many temples which I have seen in my Xian tour, there are many ancient pine in this temple, standing there as shelters of the ancient buildings.

 First built in the year only after Confuciu death (478 B.C.), King Lu had the sage residence turned into the Confucius Temple (kong miao). After that, it has undergone several renovations and expansions. And the last rebuilt is during Yongzheng reign(1723-1735) of Qing Dynasty, as you can see now.