[2024 Qufu Attraction] Travel Guide for Zhougong Temple (Updated Dec)
Historical Sites
Memorial Temples
Address:
Yan'en E Rd, Qufu Shi, Jining Shi, Shandong Sheng, China
Opening times:
Opens at 08:30-16:30Open
Recommended sightseeing time:
1-2 hours
Phone:
0537-4712172
Duke Zhou Temple, Qufu
located in Qufu county, the hometown of Confucius, Zhougong Temple is a temple for worshiping Duke Zhou, the fourth son of King Wen of the Zhou Dynasty. Duke of Zhou, surnamed Ji and Dan, because his manor was in Zhou, he was called Duke of Zhou. The structure of this complex was built during many times through the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties. Covering an area of 31310 square meters, is close to Confucius Temple and Yan temple, reachable on foot.
A quite place with few tourists, ticket free, bring your passport because during this covid time you need to register.
#fallingforfall #tripblazers #mytripvlog #lucaworldtraveler
Luca WorldTraveler
Lesser-known attractions in Qufu - Zhougong Temple
When it comes to Qufu, the first thing that comes to mind is probably the hometown of Confucius, but it is also the fief of Duke of Zhou, Ji Dan. Duke of Zhou was the fourth son of King Wen of Zhou, and his original fief was in Zhou, so he was called Duke of Zhou. After the Shang Dynasty was destroyed, Duke of Zhou was given the fief of Lu for his merits, but he did not go to the fief because he had to assist King Cheng of Zhou, so his son Bo Qin was given the fief. Duke of Zhou established the rites and music, and was the main creator of the Western Zhou Dynasty's system of rites and music. The "rites" that Confucius always wanted to restore were established by Duke of Zhou.
The Zhougong Temple was destroyed after the fall of the State of Lu, and was rebuilt after Duke of Zhou was posthumously conferred the title of King Wenxian during the Northern Song Dynasty. The existing buildings were built during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
In history, Duke of Zhou was called the "First Sage", and Mencius compared Duke of Zhou with Confucius. The current Zhougong Temple is somewhat dilapidated and cannot be compared with the Confucius Temple.
Orion_Blackthorne_99
Qufu·Temple of Duke Zhou.
Leaving the Temple of Yan, I walked east along Yan Temple Road to the Archaeological Site Park of the Ancient City of Lu outside the ancient city. There were not many people on the old street. I left the east gate of the ancient city, crossed the moat, and came to Bingli North Road. I turned left and headed north to the northeast corner of the ancient city. I crossed the road, turned east into Yueli Street, and soon saw the cultural relic protection sign of the "Ancient City of Lu". However, the buildings on the side of the road were not the site park, but the Temple of Duke Zhou.
I asked the staff at the door and learned that the site park was next to the Temple of Duke Zhou and was not currently open to the public.
Duke Zhou, who was worshipped in the Temple of Duke Zhou, was named Ji Dan, the fourth son of King Wen of Zhou and the younger brother of King Wu of Zhou. Because of his meritorious service in assisting King Wu of Zhou to destroy Shang, he was granted a fief in Lu. Duke Zhou served as an official in the court to assist King Cheng, and ordered his son Boqin to be granted a fief, and built a capital here, which lasted until the 24th year of Lu Qiong Gong (249 BC), and was destroyed by Chu, lasting more than 900 years.
Duke Zhou was the greatest thinker and politician in the early Western Zhou Dynasty. In addition to opening up territory for the Western Zhou Dynasty, he also formulated the Zhou Rites. The person Confucius admired most was Duke Zhou, and he spent his life striving to revive the Zhou Rites. Although Duke Zhou did not personally grant the fief, he was definitely the founding ancestor of the State of Lu. Why is it called Duke Zhou instead of Duke Lu? This is because his original fief was in the State of Zhou.
After Duke Zhou's death, King Cheng of Zhou ordered the State of Lu to build a temple for sacrifice. Until the State of Lu was destroyed, the temple was also destroyed. In the first year of Dazhong Xiangfu of the Song Dynasty (1008), it was rebuilt on the original site, and after many expansions and repairs in the past dynasties, it finally became the current scale.
The Temple of Duke Zhou has three courtyards, surrounded by red walls, and ancient trees intertwined in the courtyard. The main gate is a lattice star gate, the same as the Confucius Temple. The second gate is called Chengde Gate, and the third gate is Daxiao Gate.
Next to the aisle in the third courtyard, there is a "Jinren Inscription" stele, which is said to be an inscription written by Duke Zhou to Boqin. Because the inscription was written on the back of the old housekeeper Jinren, it is called Jinren Inscription. The stele was erected in the 20th year of Daoguang in the Qing Dynasty (1840) and was written by Kong Xianyi, the 72nd generation grandson of Confucius.
The Yuansheng Hall in the depths of the courtyard is the main hall of the Temple of Duke Zhou. It is five rooms wide and three rooms deep, with green tiles and colored paintings on the hanging mountain top. There are three statues in the hall. The one in the middle is Duke Zhou, the one on the east side is Boqin, and the standing statue on the west side is Jinren.
Because it is located in a remote place, the Temple of Duke Zhou is even more deserted than the Temple of Yan, which is really sighing.
ANGELINA JACOBS
The ancestral temple commemorating the founder of the State of Lu and the establisher of the Zhou rites
Duke of Zhou, surnamed Ji and named Dan, was the fourth son of King Wen of Zhou, Ji Chang, and the younger brother of King Wu of Zhou, Ji Fa. Because his fief was in Zhou, he was called Duke of Zhou. When the Zhou Dynasty was first established, he was enfeoffed in the State of Lu in Qufu, becoming the first ruler of Lu. However, he stayed in the court to assist the king, and his eldest son, Bo Qin, took the fief. The Duke of Zhou Temple is located about a mile northeast of Qufu City in Shandong Province. It is one of the three major Duke of Zhou Temples in the country. Its full name is Wenxianwang Temple, also known as Yuansheng Temple, a temple dedicated to the Duke of Zhou.
The Duke of Zhou Temple is also known as the Grand Ancestral Temple of Lu, the ancestral temple of the State of Lu. The temple has undergone multiple reconstructions during the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, reaching its current scale. The temple complex consists of three courtyards, with 57 buildings including halls, pavilions, gates, and archways, covering a total area of 75 acres. The temple is lush with ancient trees, deep and serene, with a somewhat desolate and dilapidated atmosphere. The achievements of the Duke of Zhou's life are summarized in the "Great Tradition of the Book of Documents": "In the first year, he quelled chaos; in the second year, he conquered Yin; in the third year, he subdued Yan; in the fourth year, he established marquises and guards; in the fifth year, he built Chengzhou; in the sixth year, he established rites and music; in the seventh year, he handed over governance to King Cheng."
The Duke of Zhou Temple is also the site of the ancient city of the State of Lu. The State of Lu was a vassal state of the Zhou Dynasty during the pre-Qin period, with its territory mainly in southern and central Shandong. At one point, it competed with the State of Qi for dominance in the east. The State of Lu had 25 generations and 34 rulers, lasting 795 years, nearly 800 years. In 256 BC, King Kaolie of Chu dispatched an army to destroy the State of Lu.
The Ji royal family of the State of Lu in history adhered to and implemented the Zhou rites, being staunch protectors and implementers of the Zhou Dynasty's system, playing an important role in maintaining the social order and cultural heritage of the Zhou Dynasty. The State of Lu was also an important birthplace of Confucianism, with great thinkers like Confucius and Mencius born there, having a profound impact on Chinese history and culture.
The ancient city of the State of Lu was the longest-used capital among the vassal states of the Zhou Dynasty, lasting over 900 years. It is one of the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units. To this day, there are remains of walls, moats, copper smelting, iron smelting, pottery workshops, and other handicraft workshop sites, currently undergoing archaeological excavation.