Qufu, native town of Confucius

Located in the South part of provimcia of Shandong, Qufu – one of the cradles of the old Chinese civilization – has a millenarian history. It is, in addition, the native town of Confucius (551-479 a. n. e. ), eminent politician, educator and creator of the confuciana school. Its doctrine exerted enormous influence on the development of the society, history and to the culture of China and on the evolution of the civilization of East and the West. Confucius is considered a celebrity of world-wide importance.

In 478, a year after the death of Confucius, a temple was constructed to commemorate it. With the Residence and the Forest of Confucius, an imposing architectonic set forms this one. Like picture of the Chinese traditional culture, one stays intact in spite of the centuries.

Temple of Confucius

Located in the heart of the city of Qufu, it enjoys world-wide fame by his magnificent buildings. Figure between the three old more important architectonic complexes of the country (the other two are the Chengde Palace).

The Temple of Confucius was the place where emperors of diverse times offered sacrifices to Confucius. When proclaiming the dynasty Is (206-220 a. n. e. ), emperor Wu Di declared the Orthodoxy of the confucionismo that represented the Chinese feudal culture. The governors of the later times transformed, to their way, this thought to adapt it to their own needs. They took to Confucius like “ Great Wise person and First Teacher ". They went, in person, to the temple to pay tribute or commanded to him his courteous ones to do it in his name. Qianlong emperor of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), went to the temple in eight occasions. From the dynasty They have, this one was reconstructed and extended incessantly.

The Temple of Confucius goodly keeps the aspect that the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing left him. With remniscencias of the architectonic style of the Imperial Palace in Peking, it has nine successive patios, that lodge altogether to the buildings with 466 pieces: three palaces, a tower, a terrace, three temples, two rows of lateral houses, two studies, two halls, as well as 54 doors and porches of honor.

The enclosure, by 218 000 m2, is surrounded by red walls with doors and four watchtowers in their four corners form a huge block with the red buildings of tile roofs of yellow color and beams and coumnas carved and guinea fowl.

The temple owns a good amount of cultural relics, between which they emphasize the wakes with diverse types of handwriting, which they exceed the number of 2 000

Forest of Confucius

To km to the north of Qufu, it is the cemetery of Confucius and its descendants. Also denominated “ Zhisheng Forest " (Great Wise person), oldest, vaster and mejos is conserved in China, between the familiar cemeteries.

To the death of Confucius, their disciples buried their mortal rest to the north of the city of Qufu, to borders of the Zhushui river. With the constant elevation of the position of the Great Wise person, the cemetery was recovered and extended without stopping throughout the centuries. Towards the Qing dynasty, it already occupied a surface of 200 hectares, surrounded by a wall by 3.4 ms by stop and 7.5 kilometers in length. It is an enormous garden with numerous buildings of particular style.

In the cemetery 20 000 millenarian trees and 100 000 timber ones exist more. With developed branches, they grow leafy. In their shade, are many tombs and wakes pertaining to the period between the dynasties Song of the North (960-1127) and Qing.

It is a retirement in which silence and the tranquility reign.

Residence of Confucius

The nine descendants of Confucius pertaining to the nine generations in line direct were born all in this house. Apartir of the dynasty Has (206-220), was enlarged incessantly. As the emperors rendered cultured to Confucius, they granted titles and gifts to them to its descendants, increasing its rank and well-being. Ren Zhong, emperor of the Song granted to the descendant of the 46 generation the title of “ Santo Duque ".

The Residence occupies 160 000 m2 and has a depth of 2 km. In direction N-S.

The residence – with 463 pieces includes/understands three sectors: Eastern, Western and Central. It is, in fact, huge complex architectonic that served as it calls to account and simultaneously yamen (it soothes official of civil servants in feudal China). In the Eastern sector, call “ Dongxue ", is the factory and the temple of the family. The western sector, denominated “ Xixue ", was the place where Santo Duque practiced ceremonies and received the guests. The central sector, the main one of the residence, includes two parts: the advantage that occupies the office and the later one, the residential zone. In this one, the cameras sumptuously are decorated.

Between the cultural relics that are appraised in the Residence of Confucius they appear objects granted by the emperors, offered by high civil servants and collected by the family. They are important to study the old history and culture of China.