Beijing Temple of Confucius () is the second-largest

Confucian temple A temple of Confucius or Confucian temple is a temple for the veneration of Confucius and the sages and philosophers of Confucianism in Chinese folk religion and other East Asian religions. They were formerly the site of the administration ...

in China, after

the one The ONE is a shopping centre in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It is built on the site of the former Tung Ying Building at 100 Nathan Road. It was developed by Chinese Estates Holdings and opened in 2010. Owner Joseph Lau Luen-hung g ...

in Confucius's hometown of

Qufu Qufu ( ; ) is a city in southwestern Shandong province, East China. It is located about south of the provincial capital Jinan and northeast of the prefectural seat at Jining. Qufu has an area of 815 square kilometers, and a total population of ...

History

The Temple of Confucius in

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

was built in 1302 during the reign of Temür (Emperor Chengzong) of the

Yuan dynasty The Yuan dynasty (), officially the Great Yuan (; xng, , , literally "Great Yuan State"), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division. It was established by Kublai, the fift ...

. The compound was enlarged twice, once during the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peo ...

and again during the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-spea ...

; it now occupies roughly . Until the

Xinhai Revolution The 1911 Revolution, also known as the Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, ended China's last imperial dynasty, the Manchu-led Qing dynasty, and led to the establishment of the Republic of China. The revolution was the culmination of a ...

, imperial officials of the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties hosted ceremonies to pay their formal respects to Confucius in the temple. From 1981 until 2005, the Temple of Confucius also housed part of the art collection of the

Capital Museum The Capital Museum ( Chinese: 首都博物馆) is an art museum in Beijing, China. It opened in 1981 and moved into its present building in 2006, which houses a large collection of ancient porcelain, bronze, calligraphy, painting, jade, sculpture, ...

. It stands on

Guozijian Street Guozijian Street ( Chinese: 国子监街; Pinyin: Guózǐjiàn Jiē), formerly known as Chengxian Street ( Chinese: 成贤街; Pinyin: Chéngxián Jiē), is a street in Dongcheng District, Beijing. It is listed as an important historical site. ...

near the Imperial Academy.

Grounds

The complex includes four courtyards aligned along a central axis. From south to north, noteworthy structures include the Gate of the Late Master (, ''Xianshimen''), the Gate of Great Accomplishment (, ''Dachengmen''), the Hall of Great Accomplishment (, ''Dachengdian''), and the Hall for Admiration of the Sage (, ''Chongshengci'').Beijing Confucius Temple. Travel China Guide.
/ref> Inside the temple, there are 198 stone tablets positioned on either side of the front courtyard, recording the names of more than 51,624 ''

jinshi ''Jinshi'' () was the highest and final degree in the imperial examination in Imperial China. The examination was usually taken in the imperial capital in the palace, and was also called the Metropolitan Exam. Recipients are sometimes referr ...

''s (advanced scholars) of the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. There are also 14 stone stele pavilions of the Ming and Qing dynasties that hold various historical documents from late imperial China. There is set of carved stone drums (reproducing early Zhou models) made during the reign of the Qing's Qianlong Emperor (1735–96). These are held within the Gate of Great Accomplishment. There is also a large collection of ancient Chinese musical instrument held in the Hall of Great Perfection, along with the central shrine to Confucius.Confucius Temple
/ref> There are various carvings inside the temple ground. One notable example is a famous carving of "two flying dragons playing with a pearl among the clouds"; the image is rare among Confucius temples since it was often reserved for emperors. The temple also contains stone steles containing the

Thirteen Confucian Classics The Thirteen Classics () is a term for the group of thirteen classics of Confucian tradition that became the basis for the Imperial Examinations during the Song dynasty and have shaped much of East Asian culture and thought. It includes all of t ...

, presented to the temple by the city of

Jintan Jintan District is a district under the administration of Changzhou in the Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China. History Jintan, known as Jinshan () in ancient times, was a township of Yanling commandery since the reign of the ...

in Jiangsu Province. The temple has many old trees, including one

cypress tree Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs of northern temperate regions that belong to the family Cupressaceae. The word ''cypress'' is derived from Old French ''cipres'', which was imported from Latin ''cypressus'', the la ...

known as the "Touch-Evil Cypress" (, ''Chujianbai'') that has been made famous by folklore through the ages. Its name derives from a Ming－era story that, when a notoriously corrupt official was passing by, the tree knocked off his hat. Afterwards people imaginated this particular tree could distinguish between good and evil.

References

External links

Full Virtual Walk & Info on Confucius Temple, Beijing
{{Coord, 39.94511, 116.40831, format=dms, type:landmark_region:CN-11, display=title Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Beijing Confucian temples in China Religious buildings and structures in Beijing 1302 establishments in Asia Dongcheng District, Beijing 14th-century establishments in China 14th-century Confucian temples