Quzhou Confucius Temple, commonly known as the South Ancestral Temple, has a history of over 700 years. At the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, as the Jin troops invaded the south, Emperor Gaozong Zhao Gou hastily moved south, establishing his capital in Lin’an. The 48th descendant of Confucius, Kong Duan You, carrying the wooden statues of Confucius and his wife, left Qufu, Shandong, and relocated here. Later, the Confucius Family Temple was built by imperial order, serving as a clan temple. Modeled after the Confucius Temple in Qufu, Shandong, it is also divided into two parts: the Confucius Mansion and the Confucius Temple.
The temple is surrounded by towering ancient trees and grand halls. The ‘Portrait of the Sage’ stele in front of the Silu Pavilion is said to have been drawn by Tang Dynasty artist Wu Daozi and is extremely precious. The entire ancient architectural complex is solemn and heavy, filled with a strong Confucian cultural atmosphere. The Sage’s Wooden Statue: After Confucius’ death, to repay the teacher’s kindness, his disciples built huts in front of his tomb and mourned for three years, with Zigong alone staying for an additional three years. During this time, Zigong used the Kai wood from Confucius’ forest to meticulously carve a pair of statues for his teacher and his wife, which later came to be known as the ‘Kai Statues.’ At the beginning of the Southern Song Dynasty, Kong Duan You led his clan southward with the family treasure, the ‘Kai Statues.’ During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, Feng Shi Ke recorded the story of ‘Protecting the Sage’s Statue’: ‘Yan Sheng Gong Kong Duan You carried the Kai statue south, and at night, he moored in Zhenjiang. The boat carrying the statue capsized in the waves, and three divine figures went upstream against the current and retrieved it from the riverbank. The Duke burned incense to thank them, and the smoke formed the characters ‘Lu Fu Mountain God.’ Kong Duan You carried the sacred statue to reside in Quzhou. Later, ‘Lu Fu Mountain God Temples’ were built at the four corners of the city to pray for divine favors. The sacred statue is treasured by the Confucius South Family Temple and has been carefully protected by generations. During the Japanese invasion of Quzhou, to avoid looting, Kong Fan Hao, a descendant of the Southern Ancestral Temple, followed the Nanjing government’s order and escorted the sacred statue to the Longquan and Qingyuan mountain areas. In 1946, the Kai statue was returned to the temple and treasured in the ‘Silu Pavilion.’ The entire text is open all year round from 09:00 to 17:00. The specific business status is subject to the actual opening conditions on the day. Preferential policies: Children & Elderly: Elderly over 70 years old and children under 18 years old enter for free. Elderly: Elderly between 60 and 70 years old can purchase tickets at the manual window at half price. Students: Students with a student ID can purchase tickets at the manual window at half price.Quzhou Confucius South Family Temple
Quzhou Confucius Temple, commonly known as the South Ancestral Temple, has a history of over 700 yea[...]
