Confucius Temple Fuzimiao
Founded according to the idea of "to administrate the nation better through emphasis on education" in 337 AD (Eastern Jin Dynasty) on the bank of the Qinhuai River, Nanjing, the Confucius Temple wasn't a temple itself initially, it was small a school. In 1034, it was expanded to a temple in memory of Confucius, the great philosopher and educator in ancient China. The purpose of the Confucius Temple was to encourage students to follow the teaching of the sage.
The temple suffered from damages and rebuilt several times. In 1937, it was burnt to ruin by the Japanese aggressors. In 1984 the temple was rebuilt under the support of the local government. During the long and repeated process of destruction and reconstruction, the temple has been expanded to a complex in architectural styles of Ming (1368 - 1644) and Qing (1644 - 1911) Dynasties. The temple itself, the Jiangnan Gongyuan (the place of imperial examinations in ancient China) and the Xue Gong (the Imperial Academy) are called the Confucius Temple as a whole.
Built in 1575, the longest screen wall in China is on the south bank of the Qinhuai River, it is 110m long and piled with bricks. The stone fence on the river's bank was built during the Ming Dynasty, the two majestic halls located in the east and west of the fence signify the strong scholastic atmosphere in ancient Nanjing.
The Dacheng Palace is a great attraction in the Confucius Temple, the dance hall in it, is for sacrificial ceremonies in ancient time. It is fenced by decorated stone on the three sides and copper furnaces placed on the four corners of the hall. There are two must go places in the inner hall of the Dacheng Palace, the first is the largest figure of Confucius in China, the second is the beautiful collection of 38 vivid panels which are made by jade, gold and silver, depicting the life of Confucius. The bronze statue of Confucius and the white marble statues of his eight disciples are stood outside the Dacheng Palace.
How ancient Chinese governments to choose officials can be known by visiting the Jiangnan Gongyuan. The development of academy began in the Southern Song Dynasty and expanded during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It was the biggest examination school in China. The main building of it, is the three-storey Mingyuan Tower which has 20,644 examination rooms, called "hao she" in Chinese. A theme museum exhibiting the imperial civil examination system is here.
As the modern commercial atmosphere is getting stronger in Nanjing, today the area around the Confucius Temple has a series of souvenir shops, quality restaurants and tea cafes. There about 200 sorts of local snack available and some famous Western fast-food chains run their outlets here. Various kinds of folk performance can be seen in day and night. Traditional things mixed with modern, thus the Confucius Temple is one of big tourist attractions in Nanjing.
