Confucius Temple, Confucius Forest, Confucius Palace

Author: Kong Xianglin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-08-01
Features: "Millennium of rituals returns to Dong, ten thousand stones of robes worship the white king." Qufu, a famous historical and cultural city, is the hometown of Confucius, the great ancient Chinese thinker. It has been regarded as a sacred place since ancient times. Since Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty suppressed the Hundred Schools of Thought and upheld Confucianism alone, Confucian thought has been the guiding ideology of Chinese society. In line with the tradition of honoring virtue and rewarding merit, to demonstrate respect for Confucianism and the Way, successive dynasties have built grand Confucius Temple, Confucius Cemetery, and Confucius Mansion in the hometown of Confucius. The Confucius Temple, Confucius Cemetery, and Confucius Mansion in Qufu are renowned for their long history, grand scale, profound cultural heritage, and outstanding scientific and artistic value. In May 1994, the World Heritage Committee's expert team conducted an investigation of the Confucius Temple, Confucius Mansion, and Confucius Cemetery. The team concluded: "This group of buildings is closely associated with the famous thinker and educator Confucius. For over 2,000 years, it has been the object of veneration by successive feudal dynasties. It is an outstanding representative of religious art and architecture during China's long historical period." The Confucius Mansion, Confucius Temple, and Confucius Cemetery are a group of cultural heritage formed to commemorate Confucius. To better understand this group of heritage, it is first necessary to understand Confucius.