View of the South Courts Central Axis and the Gate of Great Accomplishment, the Dacheng Gate (Photo November 2007).
(2) South Court, Jin Shi Steles & Gate of Great Accomplishment
This page was last updated: August 15, 2011
Confucius Temple (Kong Miao)
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Life-Time, History and Significance of Kung Fu-Tzi (Confucius) in China
Confucius is considered to be the greatest thinker and educationalist in ancient China. Futhermore, Confucius, who lived in the Spring and Autumn Period (of the Zhou Dynasty) was the first scholar to give private teachings, thereby breaking the Monopoly on culture, education and Literature beforehand held only to members of the nobility. Hence he is known
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Inside the Temple Gate
the location of the Holy Kitchen, the Pavilion for Sacrificial Animals and the Well Pavilion. To the West lies the Gate of Reverance, through which one can pass to the Imperial College (GuoZhi Jian), and stands the Hall of Vegetarian Diet. Throughout the courtyard there are the pavilions with steles for the records of Jin Shi.
Inside the South Courtyard one can dwell among between the multitude of Stone Steles declaring he names of the Proud Jin Shi, those who received this Title through enduring through and passing the highest level exams in the Confucian State Doctrine of the Empires administration.
The construction of the Temple of Confucius was initiated in 1302 AD and completed in 1306 AD during the Dade Reign of the Yuan Dynasty and in both the Ming and Qing dynasties the Temple was enlarged with additions. Today's Temple Structures cover a total area of 22,000 square meters (5.4 acres) making it the second largest Confucian Temple in China ranking only behind the Temple of Confucius in the village of birth of the Great Master, ZhongNi, in Qufu County in Shandong Province.
Once inside the Gate one is suddenly secluded from the rumor and noise of Beijing's Inner City and one enters into a large Courtyard which abounds in gracious and large Cedar Trees.
The East section of the South Court is
and it takes some effort the identify which belongs to which dynasty. Naturally they are inscribed in ancient Chinese Caracters, making them hard to decipher for those who have not mastered the Chinese language to this Level.
To be precise, three Steles Date to the Yuan Dynasty. A Further 77 Date to the Ming Dynasty and from the Ching Dynasty Era there are another 118 Stone Steles with names of Jin Shi. Today the Steles form a precious collection which is a rich source for studying the Ke Hu, or the Civil Service Examination System. Although the teachings of Confucius (and Mencius) were accepted as State Religion in the founding years of the Han Dynasty, the Institute of the Imperial Service Exams was founded centuries later in the years of the Sui Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty, which developed the laws of the Nation further from where the successful Sui had left off. The System remained the gateway into the Imperial Administration for over 1200 years until the year 1905 AD when the Ching Dynasty (1644 AD - 1911 AD) Court was forced into modernizations by the reality of 7 Allied Nations infringing on its Sovereignty. During this long time the examinations were frequently held, in general every 3 years. Admitted to the Exams at Confucius Temple were only those remaining after the Provincial (Prefecturate) Level Exams. -->
An Overview Map of the Entire Confucius Temple Complex with Link-throughs to each section covered by ChinaReport.com. (Photos November 2007 AD).
View of the DaCheng Gate, the Gate of Great Accomplishment (Success) and the Statue of Confucius. (Photos November 2007 AD).
The subjects emphasized, naturally, varied from Dynasty to Dynasty.
View Westward of the Gate of Reverance, leading to the South Court of the Imperial College (Gao Ji Dian).
Rows of original Steles with inscribed names of Jin Shi within the South Court of Confucius Temple. (Photos November 2007 AD).
K'Ung-Fu Tzi, Confucius. Secondly there was the Yearly Speech of the Emperor for the Academy next door as well as irregular meetings with the Professors of the Academy who also provided important advice to The Throne.
Thirdly, and most central to the function of the Academy, there were the exams themselves. From the start in the Year 1306 AD, on average the exams were held every three years inside this very complex, that is until much later during the 18Th Century Qianlong Reign of the Ching Dynasty, when the Exams were moved to the Imperial Palace's Outer Court, where the BaoHeDian Hall of Preserving Harmony and became the new venue for the Exams known as the Palace of Examinations.
The Confucius Temple is originally designed as an architectural combination with what is today known as the adjacent Imperial College grounds. The complex thus created was both the Nations High Academy as well the Highest Confucian Temple in the Empire. Within the Imperial College was situated in the Western Parts and the Temple of Confucius in the Eastern Parts.
The Institute housed within this dual structure was of such fundamental importance to the State Machinery that it was one of the places outside the restricted Palace most frequently visited by the Emperor himself. First of all the Emperor regularly had to tend to his his Ritual Offerings of sacrifices to the Philosopher turned Immortal
Schematic overview of the first group of Steles dating to the Yuan Dynasty and the first years of the Ming Dynasty. (Photo November 2007 AD).
Fu Confucius and his Ancestors. Any visitor can with due respect, pay his or her own Tribute and have a moment of Silence and perhaps awe at the Master and the achievements made by Chinese Civilization with the philosophical teachings of him and his later followers.
The Temple itself has Three Rows of
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Offerings of Incense Left at the freshly restored Gate and clean Statue of the Great Master. (Photo November 2007 AD).
throughout China as the First Master of Chinese Philosophy.
K'Ung-Fu Tzi a.k.a. Confucius was a Chinese Scholar born around the year 551 BC in ZhongNi Village which , during the Life of Confucius, was a small place in the State of Lu. Today the village is part of QuFu County, in Shandong Province.
The personal name of K'Ung-Fu Tzi was Qiu and his courtesy name was Zhongni.
K'Ung-Fu Tzi, or Confucius, died in 479 BC.
During his Youthly years
Above: White Marble Steps of Da Cheng Gate. Right: Details of the interior of freshly restored Gate of Great Accomplishemnt with stone drums, a stele and a Bronze Temple Bell. (Photo November 2007 AD).
Confucius was a low-level ranking official in Lu, tending to sheep and oxen. Later however, Confucius was mainly self-employed as a private teacher. It is said that Confucius had more than 3000 students, of whom some 70 are considered to have been the most excellent. As he traveled around the various states of the realm, the master was often accompanied by one or more of these students.
Later in Life Confucius was constantly traveling from court to court, and offering his theory of Government in an attempt to gain a High Position as advisor to whichever Ruler would have him. Although many rulers treated him courteously and were inclined to hear his words or even take
Browse through the Report Pages on Confucius Temple using this Map.
his advice to heart, the old scholar was never offered the High Position he sought after.
Pavilions. From South to North the Central Axis of the Temple crosses the Gate of the First Master, the Gate of Great Success (Da Chang), the Hall of Great Success or Accomplishment (depending on Translation) and finally the Memorial Temple Hall (Chong Sheng Ci) where sacrifices are offered to Shi
Steles with the names of Jin Shi
In total there were 198 Stone Tablets or Steles within this outer courtyard, which at the End of the Ching Dynasties' days counted no less than 51 thousand 624 names of Jin Shi. The dates and names starting with the later days of the Yuan Dynasty (1206 AD - 1368 AD) and leading through the Ming Dynasty (1368 AD - 1644 AD) to the year 1905 AD near the end of the Ching Dynasty (1644 AD - 1911 AD).
There is plenty of space to dwell around here. The Cederas inside the courtyard are the ancient guardians of the Temple, having been here for centuries offering a cooling shade as wel as adding to the solemn athmosphere of the court and architecture.
On the other Side of the South and Main Courtyard is the imposing Gate of Great Accomplishment (Da Cheng) with in front of it a white marbled statue of Confucius himself. The groups of Steles are scattered in groups near the corners of the Courtyard
Inside the Gate are 10 stone drums and two stone steles dating from the years 1736 AD through 1795 AD of the Ching Dynasty.
Confucius' teachings therefor remained a mere theory.
Only when he was in his fifties did Confucius gain a post of Official in the State of Lu, a time during which he was in charge of the punishment of criminals and the maintenance of social order in the Lu State. Surprisingly however, Confucius held this position for only three months, after he once more threw his energy into Literary Works and Philosophy. In this later period in his life the Master compiled and translated a number of Literary works.
