Beijing’s Confucius Temple, which is hundreds of yers old, lies on the north side of the city, near the 4 star Beijing Ningxia Hotel.
Every day people from all over China come to pay tribute to the man who had had such a profound influence on Chinese history and culture. And you won’t find yourself a better start-off to know China.
The moment you step in this ancient shrine, you will be impressed by the lush, green trees. A lot of them have been standing since the day the temple was built, bearing witness to Chinese people’s veneration to Confucius throughout the centuries.
There 198 large stone tablets lie in rows on each side of the path that leads you to the main courtyard. The tablets are inscribed with the names of all 51,624 Jingshi scholars who succeeded in passing the imperial exam throughout Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.
Having passed the world’s oldest civil service system, these scholars joined ancient China’s social elite. To became a Jingshi scholar and get a government post, first one had to pass a series of Confucian exam held back in his home provinces. This was just to enter the final and most important exam – the one supervised by the emperor himself.
The promise of success was dim: Only one thousandth of scholar would succeed in passing the imperial exam, and to win the chance to enter this exam, he would have spent ten years getting himself ready. Still, many tried their luck, because success would bring wealth and honor to their family.
Past the tablets, and you are met with a huge gate at the entrance to the main courtyard. There you will find a Chinese drum and a bell under the gate. Confucius supported harmony among people all his life. But by which means can we achieve that? He recommended music, which he believes can nurture one’s mind and make him a lover of peace and harmony.
Enter the main courtyard, and your eyes will immediately drawn by a large, old well. This isn’t any well; it got its name Yanshui from a Qing dynasty emperor. According to a legend, anyone who drinks water from this well will succeed in his exams. Come here and you seem to be able to feel the crowd when thousands of Jingshi-scholar wannabes came for the ‘miraculous’ water.
The dominant structure in the courtyard is the Hall of Ultimate Accomplishment, or Da Cheng Dian as in Chinese. This is where people pay their tribute to Confucius. Hanging from the beams of the roof are tablets written by various Chinese emperors. One with the seal of Emperor Kangxi reads: the Eternal Mentor.
Following a thousand-year-old imperial tradition, Emperor Kangxi offer sacrifices to Confucius every year. The emperor would chair a series of imperial rites with the height being a grand dance performed by 64 dancers. The dance was only performed to honor the most important imperial ancestors. Throughout Chinese history, Confucius was probably the person who most frequently enjoyed such an honor.
Also, there are rows of shrines in honor of famous Confucius disciples who had helped to bring Confucius’s knowledge to people in China’s lowest class.
You will find a host of prime hotels in Beijing close tothe Confucian temple, some within walking distance. See some of the best hotels in Beijing here.
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