Cradle of Confucianism
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Shanghai Daily, October 17, 2011
Many halls in the temple commemorate visits by Chinese emperors, who throughout history have come to Qufu to honor Confucius. These visits have taken place since the Western Han Dynasty (206-25 BC) , when Emperor Wu recanted previous schools of thought and declared that Confucianism would become the set of principles to underlie all Chinese education, effectively becoming the national orthodoxy. This cemented Confucius' role as China's great sage to the present day.
Adjacent to the Confucius Temple lies the Kong Family Mansion, also known as the Confucius Mansion and which houses many of the Master's descendants. (Confucius is known as Kong Fuzi in Chinese). Kong, in fact, is the most common surname in Qufu, and it is said that more than 10 percent of the city's residents are descendants of Confucius.
One is Kong Qian, an affable tour guide who takes Chinese- and English-speaking foreign visitors through Qufu's main sites. When asked what it means to him to be a descendant of Confucius, Kong says: "I feel very special and proud to have such a famous ancestor. I think the feelings I have are a little different from others."
And does he try to live by his great forefather's ideals? "When I do something or act on something, I will do it in a way that Confucius would. Confucius tells us how to deal with a situation."
Kong Qian enthusiastically points the way through the temple, adding tidbits of information to that written on the signs, many of which contain only Chinese characters. The main signposts are written in both Chinese and English. English-language guidebooks can be purchased in the stores around town or in the ticket-purchasing area.
Among the temple's sites, it is humbling to come across the Xingtan Pavilion, where Confucius is believed to have preached to his disciples. You can imagine the master's conversations with the likes of Yan Hui, said to be his favorite student, or Zeng Cen, who became known as Master Zeng to Confucius' later disciples and who stressed filial piety and had a big influence on spreading Confucian thought. Confucius is credited with having taught about 3,000 disciples, although some consider that figure exaggerated. Seventy-two main disciples were responsible for imparting his belief system throughout the land.
Another of the temple's many key landmarks is the Chenghua Tablet, which was erected during the Ming Dynasty and towers 6.2 meters high. It's known for the dignified manner of its calligraphy written by Ming Emperor Xiangzong.
Kong Family Mansion
Just to the east of the temple sits the Kong Family Mansion, which houses many descendants of Confucius. Like the temple, the mansion was renovated and expanded many times during the Song, Ming and Qing dynasties. Today it contains 480 rooms in nine compounds, and is considered the largest and grandest feudal noble mansion in China.
A highlight is the Wall of Mirroring Tan, a brilliantly colored painting that depicts a unicorn-like animal said to be so insatiable that it possessed every treasure in the world yet even wanted to devour the sun. It was hung on a wall of the inner residence along a path that was the only way out - a warning to people not to take bribes or break any other laws.
Confucius Cemetery
At the north end of Qufu sits the Confucius Cemetery, where one can spend hours getting lost in time and space. It has expanded to an area so large that its perimeter wall goes on for seven kilometers, it houses more than 100,000 graves and contains the longest time line of descendants of any cemetery in the world.
The facility is also renowned as a botanical paradise. After Confucius' death, his disciples planted rare trees from all over China, but the cataloguing was suspect. Some of the 1,000-plus trees are now so rare that their proper names are not even known.
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