Nanjing Confucius Temple
Scenery around Confucius Temple
Lantern Painting in Fuzimiao
A Portrait of Confucius
Ancient Buildings Around Fuzimiao
The Confucius Temple (Fuzimiao) in Nanjing is located on the northern bank of the famous Qinhuai River, beside Gongyuan Jie, a busy commercial and tourist Pedestrian Street. This scenic spot has become a featured sight of ancient Nanjing. The Confucius Temple, also called 'Wenmiao', was built to worship Confucius - a great ideologist and educationalist of ancient China. The temple was first built in 1034 during the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279), and rebuilt many times in later years. The latest renewal was in 1984, which preserved its architectural style of the Ming (1368 - 1644) and Qing (1644 - 1911) dynasties.
The temple is centered on Dacheng Hall, where a statue of Confucius is enshrined. Other halls and pavilions are laid out symmetrically. Qinhuai River is regarded as the companion pool of the temple. On the opposite bank of the river is an ochreous red screen wall with green tiles. With a length of 110 m (361 ft), the wall is the longest of its kind in China. The first entrance to the temple is a tall arch 'Tian Xia Wen Shu'. The construction of both the screen wall and the arch are in an ancient architectural style used for screens and decoration.
Gongyuan Street, with many shops and restaurants, is also built in the ancient style. The street is the best place in the city to purchase souvenirs and taste local food. The temple and the river are most beautifully illuminated by lights at night. From Lunar Jan 1st to 18th, a lantern festival will be held next to the temple, when it is quiet noisy here.
Entrance Fee: CNY 15 for Dacheng Hall;
CNY 40 for the through ticket of four attractions
Opening Hours: 08:00 - 21:30
Transportation:
A. Take Subway Line 1 and get off at Sanshan Street station;
B. Take Bus No. 1, 4, 7, 15, 40, 44, 49, 62, 304 or Tourism Bus No. 2 and get off at Fuzimiao stop;
C. Take Bus No. 2, 14, 16, 23, 33, 43, 46, 63, 81, 101, 102, 103, 106 or 305 and get off at Changle Road.
More Tourist Attractions in Nanjing:
Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum Qinhuai River
Jiangnan Examination Institute Qixia Mountain
