#Zhengzhou Confucius Temple Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in Jun)
Historical Sites
Memorial Temples
Historical Architectures
Address:
Zijing Mountain Shangquan, Guancheng, Zhengzhou, China
Opening times:
Open tomorrow at 08:00-17:00(Admission ends at 17:00)Closed Today
Recommended sightseeing time:
1-2 hours
Zhengzhou | Visit the ancient Confucian Temple, a millennium-old cradle of civilization
🌈 The Confucian Temple in Zhengzhou was established during the Yongping years of Emperor Ming of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and it is the second oldest Confucian temple in the country after the one in Qufu. It has experienced multiple fires and restorations, and although its scale is not as grand as before, it remains majestic and solemn.
🏷️ The core structure, the Dacheng Hall, is a hip-and-gable style building. Under the eaves of the hall, the colorful and heavy bracketing is exquisitely crafted and unparalleled. Main attractions include: the Lingxing Gate, Zhuangyuan Bridge, Dacheng Gate, Dacheng Hall, Prayer Corridor, Well Pavilion, Zunjing Pavilion, and the Stele Corridor, etc.
🕒 Free opening hours: 09:00-17:00 (entry stops at 16:40)
⌚️ Suggested visiting time: 0.5-1h
🔘 The Confucian Temple is not large, and there is a Stele Corridor with various exquisite crafts on the right side of the entrance.
🔘 The square in front of the Confucian Temple's entrance is very large and has a century-old national scholar tree.
🔘 Recommended joint visit: Dongchengyuan Ruins Museum ➡️ Confucian Temple ➡️ Zhengzhou Shang Dynasty Ruins Museum (the reverse order is also feasible, as they are all in the same area)
MikaelKokko
The second oldest Confucian temple after the Qufu Confucian Temple: Zhengzhou Confucian Temple
Zhengzhou Confucian Temple was once the oldest, most extensive, and largest ancient architectural complex in Zhengzhou.
According to the 'Zhengzhou Records' compiled during the Ming Dynasty, the Zhengzhou Confucian Temple was established during the Yongping years of Emperor Ming of the Eastern Han Dynasty, making it the second oldest Confucian temple in the country after the one in Qufu.
Upon entering the Confucian Temple square, the Lingxing Gate immediately comes into view. As you step through the Lingxing Gate, it signifies that you have entered the spatial domain of the Confucian Temple, and your behavior and demeanor must become dignified, and your expression and attitude must become serious. This may well be the ceremonial sense of 'stepping into the hall'.
Crossing the Lingxing Gate, you will see the Pan Bridge (pàn), also known as the Scholar's Bridge or the Ao Bridge. In ancient times, students' enrollment was called 'entering Pan'. 'First rectify your attire and comportment, then understand principles and reasoning.'
The entire architectural complex of the Confucian Temple has a clear central axis. There are five courtyards along the central axis, with a rational layout and elegant architecture. There are attractions such as the Lingxing Gate, Dacheng Gate, Dacheng Hall, Zunjing Pavilion, Well Pavilion, side halls, Stele Corridor, and Wishing Plaques.
Walking across the Pan Bridge, you officially begin to enter the Confucian Temple.
The building directly ahead is called 'Dacheng Gate', and on both sides of the Dacheng Gate, there are two pairs of couplets with gold-embossed characters inscribed on the pillars, which read 'The teachings of Si River multiply, extending endlessly to future generations; the Spring and Autumn periods look up to the brilliant human culture shining over the capital of Shang' and 'Following rites and the way, the Analects educate heaven and earth; the most holy and revered teacher illuminates the past and present'.
The architectural form of the Dacheng Hall is the ancient 'Xieshan style', with a complex roof structure and exquisite craftsmanship, truly exceptional.
The highest point of the hall is called the 'ridge', and at each end of the ridge, there are 2-meter-high dragon head-shaped components called 'kiss', symbolizing the dragon's control over rainfall, a sign of fire prevention. At the very center of the ridge stands a double-layered tower-like structure, adorned with auspicious ornaments such as qilin and elephants.
Zhengzhou Confucian Temple
Fork in the Road
Zhengzhou Citywalk, the free Confucian Temple is definitely not to be missed
Coming to Zhengzhou Citywalk, the Zhengzhou Confucian Temple is definitely a must-see. It is the oldest, largest, and most extensive ancient architectural complex in Zhengzhou with a recorded history, dating back over 2000 years.
🎫 Confucian Temple Admission: The Confucian Temple is open to the public for free. No reservation is needed, just enter for free.
⌚️ Opening Hours: 08:00-17:00 (No entry after 17:00)
🚌 Travel Tips: The Zhengzhou Confucian Temple is located on the north side of the eastern section of Dong Dajie, close to the Zhengzhou City God Temple. It's about 350 meters walk from the B exit of the Confucian Temple subway station.
🏫 Architectural Features: The Lingxing Gate is a common structure in the Confucian Temple, usually a wooden or stone archway-style building. The Dacheng Hall is built using the ancient 'Xieshan' architectural style, with layered eaves and soaring ridges, complemented by dragon head components and exquisite painted patterns.
⛩️ Main Attractions: The main structures of the Confucian Temple include the Dacheng Hall, Lingxing Gate, Zunjing Pavilion, Hanjing Well Pavilion, and the Stele Corridor. Among them, the Dacheng Hall is the most important main building of the entire Confucian Temple and is the only remaining building from the late Qing Dynasty. The Zunjing Pavilion is used to store important Confucian classics and various historical books, and it is also the tallest building in the entire Confucian Temple.
When I arrived, it was snowing heavily, making it a great place for photography. There are also many local delicacies near the Zhengzhou Confucian Temple, which are worth trying while you're here.
TranscontinentalWanderlust$333
Take great photos at the Zhengzhou Confucius Temple!
Take great photos at the Zhengzhou Confucius Temple!| Few people, beautiful scenery, and great for shooting.
Location: Zhengzhou Confucius Temple
Suitable styles: Hanfu, New Chinese style, New Year, etc.
Advantages:
1. Few people! Really few, no need to worry about avoiding people and finding angles
2. The venue is relatively large (of course, the temples in the city will not be particularly large)
3. Free, no reservation required.
LilyChamberlain74
The Confucian Temple in the center of Zhengzhou was once the largest ancient architectural complex in the area. It is now free to open
many places in the country have Confucius Temples or Confucius Temples. This is the place where Confucius is worshipped. The largest and earliest Confucius Temple in the country is the Confucius hometown of Qufu, Shandong. Confucius Temple has been included in the World Cultural Heritage. In Zhengzhou, Henan, there is also a Confucian Temple. The
Zhengzhou Confucian Temple is located in the old town of the city center. It has a long history and is earlier than most Confucius Temples in the country. Founded in the Yongping Period of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Zhengzhou Confucian Temple was the oldest and largest ancient architectural complex in Zhengzhou. The
Zhengzhou Confucian Temple once had more than 200 temples and pavilions, covering an area of about 50,000 square meters. There is one street crossing in the east and west. However, the scale of the Confucian Temple is now very small. There are only two ancient buildings and several small rooms in Dacheng Hall and Tuen Mun.
The current Confucian Temple is a free and open tourist attraction, but there are not many foreign tourists. Most of the time is very deserted. Some locals are resting at the entrance of the Temple of Literature.
At the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty, there were 37 acres of the Temple of Literature, consisting of the front yard, the middle court and the back yard. The front yard has the Xingxing Gate, Dianchi Lake and Tuen Mun. There are Dacheng Hall and East-West Gallery in the Intermediate Court. In the backyard, there are Minglun Hall, Jingting Pavilion and Zunjing Pavilion. Dacheng Hall is the essence of the Confucian Temple.
This temple has been repeatedly destroyed by fires in the history of the temple. The most recent fire occurred during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty. All the buildings were almost burned out, and the scale after reconstruction was much smaller than before.
The existing Dacheng Hall is still an ancient building of the Qing Dynasty and has a high historical value. The entire Confucian Temple is antique and solemn, next to the historic site of the historic city.
Confucian Temple is easily accessible by subway and you can walk to the "East Street" station and walk. The scenic spots in the old city of Zhengzhou are relatively concentrated. The Erqi Memorial Tower in the city center was once the symbol of Zhengzhou. Nowadays, with the vigorous development of Zhengdong New District and the high-rise buildings, the urban style has undergone tremendous changes.