Qufu Confucius Temple, Confucius Cemetery, Confucius Mansion

Author: Chen Chuanping
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: The Confucius Temple, Confucius Palace, and Confucius Cemetery are located in Qufu City, Shandong Province. They are symbols of China's commemoration of Confucius and the promotion of Confucianism, renowned for their profound cultural heritage, long history, grand scale, rich collection of cultural relics, and scientific and artistic value. The Confucius Temple is situated in the center of Qufu City. According to historical records, in the second year after Confucius's death (478 BC), Duke Ai of Lu rebuilt Confucius's former residence into a temple to worship him. Through successive reconstructions and expansions, the temple reached its current scale during the Ming Dynasty. It consists of nine courtyards in front and back, covering an area of 140,000 square meters, and contains over 100 halls, pavilions, towers, and archways. The temple features the Apricot Grove, where Confucius taught, and ancient cypresses he planted, as well as over 1,000 steles from various dynasties.
Confucius Palace, originally known as the Mansion of the Duke Yansheng, is located east of the Confucius Temple. It served as the official residence of the direct descendants of Confucius. Emperor Gaozu of Han (Liu Bang) once performed a grand sacrifice at Confucius's tomb and enfeoffed the ninth-generation descendant of Confucius as the hereditary "Lord of Sacrifices," representing the state in worshipping Confucius. Over the centuries, the title was elevated, and by the Song Dynasty, the holder was known as the "Duke Yansheng." The independent Mansion of the Duke Yansheng was established in the 10th year of the Hongwu era (1377) during the Ming Dynasty. It now contains over 480 rooms, with the front serving as official offices and the back as private residences. The mansion houses the famous Confucius Archive and a vast collection of cultural relics.
Confucius Cemetery is located north of Qufu and serves as the family burial ground for Confucius and his descendants. Confucius died in the 16th year of Duke Ai's reign (479 BC) on the fourth day of the fourth month, and was buried north of the city at the Sishui River. His descendants were buried in adjacent tombs, forming the modern-day Confucius Cemetery. Since Zigong, one of Confucius's disciples, planted trees to mourn his master, the cemetery now contains over 10,000 ancient trees. There are over 100,000 tombs and more than 4,000 steles in the cemetery, including the tomb of Kong Shangren, the famous author of the Peach Blossom Fan.
Qufu is one of China's first historical and cultural cities, and the "Three Confucius Sites" are its most important cultural heritage scenic areas, the most alluring destinations in Qufu. This book introduces and showcases the rich and splendid cultural relics of the "Three Confucius Sites" while also delving into the historical reasons behind the profound, enduring, and ever-renewing nature of Confucian culture. It allows readers to understand the "Three Confucius Sites" and the immense historical and cultural significance they carry from multiple perspectives and levels. This sets the book apart from other works on the same topic, making it particularly thought-provoking.