Temples of Confucius

Temples of Confucius

Temples of Confucius, built to commemorate the ancient Chinese philosopher and educator, had great political, cultural, and educational significance in ancient times. There are over 2,000 such temples located in countries such as China, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, and the United States.

The Temple of Confucius in Qufu, Shandong Province, where Confucius was born, has the longest history. It was first built in 478 B.C. during the Spring and Autumn period (770- 476 B.C.) on the basis of Confucius' former residence. Its main existing structures were constructed in the Ming (1368- 1644) and Qing (1616-1911) dynasties. Covering an area of 140,000 square meters, the temple complex consists of nine courtyards and over 460 buildings, including halls, pavilions, and gateway structures, all arranged symmetrically along the north-south axis. Surrounded by red walls, the temple radiates grandeur with an impressive layout. It is one of the largest and best-preserved ancient architectural complexes in China. For over 2,000 years, the temple has been seen as a spiritual sanctuary for Confucian scholars and remains an important symbol of Chinese culture. In 1994, the Temple, the Cemetery, and the Family Mansion of Confucius in Qufu were listed as a UNESCO World cultural Heritage Site.

孔廟

孔廟是紀念中國古代思想家、教育家孔子的祠廟建筑，在古代承載著重要的政治、文化和教育意義。中國、朝鮮、日本、越南、印度尼西亞、新加坡、美國等國家建有2000 多座孔廟。

曲阜孔廟位于孔子故里山東曲阜，始建于春秋時期（前478），以孔子故居為基礎修建，是建造時間最早的一座孔廟。現存曲阜孔廟的主要建筑主要完成于明清兩代，占地14萬平方米，前后九進院落。廟內有殿堂、壇閣、門坊等460多間，沿南北向中軸線對稱分布，四周圍以紅墻，整個廟宇氣勢恢宏、布局嚴謹，是中國現存規模最大的三大古建筑群之一。2000多年來，曲阜孔廟始終是儒家士大夫的精神圣殿，是中華文化的重要承載者。1994年，曲阜孔廟、孔林、孔府列入聯合國教科文組織世界文化遺產名錄。