About
The Confucius Temple, also known as Kong Miao or the Temple of Confucius, stands in Qufu, a city in Jining, Shandong, China. It is the largest and most famous temple dedicated to Confucius, the philosopher whose teachings shaped much of Chinese thought and life for centuries.
What to see
The temple is set within a complex of traditional Chinese architecture, with halls, courtyards and gateways laid out in the order that characterises the country's older religious and civic buildings. Visitors come to walk through this layout and to see the ancient stelae and artifacts the site houses, which give a sense of the long period over which the temple has been cared for and added to.
Why it matters
The temple was built in 478 BC and is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For anyone interested in Confucian history, or in how Chinese architecture expresses ideas about order and learning, it offers a direct encounter with the place most closely associated with the philosopher's name.
Planning your visit
- Location: Qufu, Jining, Shandong, China
- Also known as: Kong Miao, Temple of Confucius
- Contact: +86-537-4712177
Plan a visit around the temple's historical character: allow time for the stelae and the architecture rather than rushing through the grounds. Because the temple is part of a wider heritage landscape, many visitors choose to pair it with time in Qufu itself, where the surrounding city offers further places connected to Confucius and to the region's long past.
