Rush five thousand miles

Author: Jiang Lei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: The Confucius Temple in Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius, is an important stop in the "Yellow River, My Chinese Knot" interview program. "The Master said, 'The rivers flow on—so do the days,' " reflects Confucius's admiration for the Yellow River. As a great thinker, Confucius played a significant role in shaping the spiritual character of the Chinese people. Confucian and Mencian thought is an indispensable part of Yellow River culture, forming a vital component of the intellectual and spiritual traditions of the Chinese nation. Our desire was to visit the birthplace of Confucius to feel his presence and explore the atmosphere of "Confucianism," which originated in the Yellow River Basin and continues to influence the present. However, in Qufu, we couldn’t find "Confucius." On July 14th, upon arriving in Qufu, we were surrounded by a swarm of rickshaw drivers, tour guides, and small vendors just one kilometer away from the Confucius Temple. From the "minibus" drivers to the rickshaw peddlers, they all stared at us and incessantly chattered. The tour guides stood in groups, pestering foreigners the moment they saw them. Inside the Confucius Temple and Palace, we discovered that the most skilled guides and vendors were already there! In the Confucius Palace, I felt a profound sense of disappointment. It was just a collection of such buildings, such guides, and such a cultural atmosphere. This was the home of Confucius’s descendants, which was once extremely luxurious. However, as the saying goes, "Those who are raised in luxury are bound to serve in luxury." Confucius’s descendants had been hereditary "Yanshenggong" (Chief Sage) for generations, growing up in a cocoon of comfort, and had never produced another thinker with independent thought like Confucius. This hereditary wealth was actually a disaster—it stifled the creativity of his descendants. The tour guide’s explanations only added to the chill in my heart. In the inner courtyard of the Confucius Palace, the guide introduced: "Confucius’s 76th-generation descendant had three wives—one husband and two concubines. Ah, they all lived together, and the house is now furnished exactly as they did. You can look through the windows to see their living scenes."