The Confucian Temple
Phone: 8401-1977
Hours: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Admission: 10 RMB
Nearest Public Transit: Yonghegong Station, Line 2
The Temple
The Confucian Temple (Kongmiao) and the Imperial College (Guozijian) are in the northeastern section of town near the Lama Temple. It was built in during the Yuan Dynasty.This is one of our favorite sights in Beijing. It is currently being refurbished which does detract from its charm, but it is still one of the most peaceful and serene spots in the city.
A glazed tile memorial archway stands before the temple's main gate which leads into a courtyard shaded by pines and cypresses. In the first courtyard are a number of pavilions housing a collection of 188 stone tablets bearing the names of scholars from all over China who passed the triennial imperial examinations. Imagine a culture that so values education that it put the names of the highest gradates into stone and has managed to keep those stones, through all the upheavals of the country for hundreds of years. Each of these students dedicated a lifetime to the study of the Confucian classics and had already passed examinations on the local, county and provincial levels. The exams lasted days! The worked, ate and slept in small cells completing the exams. Those that persevered are listed here. Although to us it might seem like a bunch of old steles, imagine the blood, sweat and tears that went to getting your name carved here. In the west we make monuments to battles and military leaders, divine kings and sometimes holy martyrs. Here is a shrine to students, education, and learning. I can't think of a more important memorial. Spend some time examining the stones and reflecting on your own academic battles.
The Imperial College
The Imperial College is located immediately to the west of the Confucian Temple and connects through a side gate (one admission for both places). The highest official institution of learning in imperial China, it was first established in 1287 during the Yuan Dynasty and enlarged several times, reaching its present size during the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. After the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949, the Imperial College was completely renovated and the Capital Library was incorporated within its grounds.
Past the main gate is a glazed tile memorial archway with bell and drum towers to the east and west. Directly in front of the gate is the famous Jade Disc Hall. The square pavilion, which stands in the center of a circular pond, has a double-eaved roof surmounted by a gilded sphere. The pond is crossed by four intricately carved marble bridges. It was here that the emperor and other academics came to lecture on the classics to an audience composed of civil and military officials from the imperial court and students of the Imperial College.
The east of Taixue Gate are 189 stone tablets called the Qianlong Stone Scriptures. In the middle of the 18th century, Emperor Qianlong ordered to have the Thirteen Classics engraved in stone. Jiang Heng, a scholar from Jiangsu Province, spent 20 years carving the 630,000 Chinese characters onto 189 stone tablets.
Behind the Jade Disc Hall stands the former Exalted Literature Pavilion, which was used as a library during the Yuan Dynasty. Later its name became the Ethics Hall. Here the emperor and other noted scholars gave lectures during the period before the Jade Disc Hall was built. Hundreds of years before Harvard or Yale were founded, scholars sat together here and studied in order to build a better and more ethical society. Now we know that there was corruption and that the Confucian classics also kept most of the society (especially women) in near enslavement. But let those thoughts drift from your mind for a moment and soak up the best that this culture had to offer; education and advancement based on merit. Sit quietly and see if you can hear the lectures, don't worry if they are in Chinese - its your imagination - pretend you speak the language fluently.
The Confucian Temple and Imperial College are often paired with a visit to the Lama Temple. Visit the lama temple first! Especially in summer it is a hectic place filled with tourists. The spirituality that you are looking for might be hidden too far below the feet of tour groups racing through the site. If so, spend more time here afterwards. The sight is not on the Chinese tour group schedule (since Confucius was vilified by Mao since 1949) and you should be able to find a corner of the place to be all by yourself. Take the time to think about education, learning and knowledge and think about how much you are learning on your trip.
