Quzhou Confucius Temple has been moved and rebuilt three times and repaired more than ten times. The current Confucius Temple was built in the 15th year of Zhengde of Emperor Wuzong of the Ming Dynasty (AD 1520). It is located in the east corner of Quzhou Fucheng and covers an area of ??about 20 acres. It is basically planned and built according to the scale of the Confucius Temple in Qufu, Shandong. The building covers an area of ??about 13,900 square meters and is divided into three parts: the Confucius Temple, the Confucius Mansion and the back garden.
The entire building complex faces north and south, has a longitudinal plane and is laid out on three axes. On the east axis, there are Confucius School, Chongshengmen, Chongsheng Temple, Shengze Tower and other buildings. On the central axis, there are buildings such as the Confucius Temple Gate, Dacheng Gate, Corridor, Dacheng Hall, and East and West Verandas. On the west axis, there are buildings such as Wuzhi Temple, Xifeng Temple, Sixth Generation Duke Temple, and Silu Pavilion. Slightly west of the west axis is the hereditary doctor's office, which is the official residence of Confucius. The family temple has undergone many repairs in each generation, and it still retains the architectural shape and scale of the Song Dynasty.
There are four gates in front of the temple: "Jinsheng", "Yuzhen", "Lingxing" and "Dacheng". On the front left is the "Jinsheng Gate" and on the right is the "Yuzhen Gate". Beyond the Jinsheng and Yuzhen gates, there are two archways, "De Cai Tian Di" and "Dao Guan Ancient and Modern". The temple gate is a single mountain top building. Set against the surrounding walls of the Stone Xumizuo, it looks majestic and solemn. Above the temple door hangs a plaque with the words "Quzhou Confucius Family Temple" inscribed by the famous contemporary calligrapher Sha Menghai. The font is vigorous and powerful. A pair of stone lions on both sides of the main entrance show the dignity of the holy place. It is understood that the temple gate was redesigned based on the Kong family temple in Quzhou in the Ming Dynasty and combined with the architectural style of the Qing Dynasty. In the middle, there is the "Lingxing Gate" with a three-arched stone structure, and then the "Dacheng Gate". On the left and right of the gate are stele pavilions, with seventeen stele for the founding of the family temple written by Zhao Ruteng, the Minister of the Ministry of Worship during the Song Dynasty and Hanlin scholar Zhao Ruteng. Each of the tablets and inscriptions were written by political figures and famous Confucians of the time.
Entering Dachengmen, you can go up to the Yi platform (yìancient music and dance procession, a line of eight people is called a Yi). It is the place where Confucius sings and dances. It is a 170 square meter platform entirely paved with bluestones. Next to the platform is the Dacheng Hall, the main hall of the Confucius Temple, which is the tallest building in the temple. This is a Ming Dynasty building with double eaves and a mountain top. The halls and pavilions are majestic and extraordinary. There is a vertical plaque in the middle of the double eaves with the words "Dacheng Hall" written on it. Under the eaves hangs a plaque with the words "Shengmin Lai You", which is written for Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty. In the hall, an original piece of "Teacher's Biao for All Times" written by Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty hangs above the main hall. The main hall is 23 meters high, 9 meters long and 9 meters wide. In the center of the hall is a seated statue of Confucius, flanked by statues of his son Boyu and grandson Si. There are more than ten plaques with royal letters from emperors of all dynasties hanging on the beams. There are 12 wooden columns in the hall. The largest cylinder among them has a circumference of 1.80 meters, which is difficult for an adult to hold even if he stretches out his arms. There are nine houses on the east and west sides of the passage in front of the temple, called "two verandas", which are places for worshiping sages. The east and west verandas are dedicated to the Twelve Philosophers, Kong Renyu, the founder of Zhongxing, Kong Chuan and Kong Duanyou.
To the left of Jinsheng Gate is where the family school is located. Inside is the Chou Holy Temple. Behind the temple is Shengze Tower, formerly known as Yujie Tower. In front of the temple and slightly west is the Baogong Temple, which worships the merits of officials and gentry. Southern sect. On the right side of Yuzhen Gate are buildings such as the Five Branches Temple, the Xifeng Temple, the Sixth Dynasty Duke Temple, and the Silu Pavilion. There are regular wooden statues of Confucius and Qi Guan's wife on the Silu Pavilion, which are less than two feet high. Confucius' robe has long sleeves, and Qi Guan's wife's long skirt hangs to the floor, creating a vivid image. Your Excellency has a stele of "Image of the First Saint", which is 2.07 meters high and 0.85 meters wide. According to legend, it was copied by Kong Duanyou based on the handwriting of Wu Daozi, a painter of the Tang Dynasty.
To the west of the family temple, it is connected to the Five Classics Doctor's Mansion of the Hanlin Academy (commonly known as Confucius Mansion or Doctor's Office). The back entrance of the doctor's residence is the inner residence, which is on the same level as the Dacheng Hall of the family temple.