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In the ancient town of Qufu, memories about Confucius, the man who laid foundation for Chinese moral and political concept are preserved.
Qufu lies in Southwest Shandong province, China. The town is famous for being the hometown of Confucius, the sage whose school of thinking has a great influence on China and beyond. During the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), Qufu was the capital of Lu Kingdom, one of about 150 feuding Chinese kingdoms of the time. Amid the turbulence caused by constant warfare in that period, philosophical as well as social and political theories were developed and by the 6th century BC, Confucianism took root first in Qufu then in all over China. Being Confucius’s hometown as well as the place he taught his doctrines, Qufu is a holy land where people, including emperors, have been coming to pay homage to “the teacher of many generations” (Confucius’s epithet). Because of the great importance of Confucianism, in Qufu places and things concerning Confucius are revered, preserved, and adorned. Qufu's three Confucius-related sites, which are also its chief attractions, are the Confucian Temple, Mansion and Cemetery. All three of them are in UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage list. The Temple was erected by the king of Lu Kingdom two years after the death of Confucius and emperors of later dynasties further renovated it to fit the high status of Confucius and his teachings. It is a grand complex comparable even to the Imperial Palace in Beijing. Within the Temple is Confucius’s former residence and his teaching place. In the past, there was a yearly sumptuous ceremony including sacrifice, music and dance to pay homage to Confucius which the emperors themselves would attend. The visits of the emperors as well as the ceremonies and the lives of Confucius’s descendants are recorded in more than 200 stone steles erected in the Temple. The Confucian Mansion which is next to the Temple used to be the residence of Confucius’s descendants beginning with his eldest grandson. The emperors greatly favoured Confucianism so Confucius’s descendants were given the hereditary title of “Lord of Learning” and were respected. Their Mansion reflects the high rank they enjoyed. It has 463 rooms divided into working and residential quarters and there are areas that only the Lords of Learning were allowed to pass. The furnishings inside the Mansion are kept in their original state. The decoration served to remind the residents of the Mansion, many of whom were officials, of their family’s dignity and their duty to be wise and virtuous. The Cemetery of Confucius’s family, the resting place of Confucius and his descendants, lies in the north of Qufu. It is over 200 hectares large and is one of the largest and longest lasting family cemetery in the world. Here one can visit Confucius’s tomb, which is humble comparing with his fame and influence. The ceremony at the Confucian Temple has been revived as a token of modern China’s appreciation for Confucius and his philosophy. Qufu also reenacts customs of the Lu Kingdom in Spring-Autumn Period so that visitors can have some idea about the era in which Confucius lived and worked. Reference: http://english.cctv.com/travelogue http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/704/
The copyright of the article Relics of Confucius in Qufu in China Travel is owned by Minh Tran. Permission to republish Relics of Confucius in Qufu in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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