A PLACE, A STORY / Qufu
Temple of Confucius
Courtyards and halls honour a teacher across many centuries. Qufu’s temple grew through repeated rebuilding, preserving a long tradition of remembrance.
Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons. Resized and JPEG compressed. · Original source · License
Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons. Resized and JPEG compressed. · Original source · License
The Temple of Confucius in his hometown of Qufu began as a place to commemorate him after his death. Over the centuries it was enlarged, damaged and rebuilt, becoming an extensive sequence of halls and courtyards. Its architecture records lasting respect for a teacher whose ideas travelled widely.
Instead of trying to absorb every building, choose one doorway or column. What does its scale suggest about the importance people gave to learning and memory?
Editorial sources
Editorial review:
Before travelling, check current access, opening times and entry requirements with the relevant official sources.
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