Temple of Confucius, Beijing

Temple of Confucius, Beijing (must see)

The Temple of Confucius was constructed in 1302 and later expanded to occupy 20,000 square meters. Today it holds the distinction of being the second largest in China. It is located close to the Imperial Academy on Guozijian Street.

As you enter the temple’s complex, you will find four courtyards that are aligned along the central axis. Some of the prominent structures that extend from south to north of the temple include the Dacheng Gate, Xianshi Gate, Chongshengci and the Dacheng Hall.

On each side of the front courtyard, you will find positioned 198 stone tablets with an inscription of names of Jinshi or advanced scholars from the Qing, Ming and Yuan dynasties. Ancient Chinese historical documents can be found at the Qing and Ming dynasty’s 14 stele pavilions made of stone.

Don't miss out on the drums made of carved stone. These drums were made during the Qianlong period between 1736 and 1795. In the Hall of Great Perfection, you will find an ancient Chinese musical instruments collection. Confucius’ shrine is also in this hall.

The temple ground features a variety of attractive carvings. Pay a visit to this beautiful and interesting temple on your trip to Beijing.

Tip:
The temple's gift shop has gorgeous paper cuttings and prints that you're less likely to find elsewhere. You can combine this visit with the Yonghe Temple, as they are less than 100 meters from each other. Also in front, you have the beautiful Dadu Museum of Art.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Beijing. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Temple of Confucius on Map

Sight Name: Temple of Confucius
Sight Location: Beijing, China (See walking tours in Beijing)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Beijing, China

Create Your Own Walk in Beijing

Create Your Own Walk in Beijing

Creating your own self-guided walk in Beijing is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Beijing City Center Walking Tour

Beijing City Center Walking Tour

A political, cultural, and economic center of China for the past eight centuries, Beijing is the newest of the country's Four Ancient Capitals.

The city boasts the grandest and best preserved imperial palaces, gardens and temples, including seven UNESCO World Heritage sites, such as the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Ming Tombs, Zhoukoudian, and parts of the Great Wall...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.7 Km or 2.3 Miles
Olympic Park Walking Tour

Olympic Park Walking Tour

The Olympic Park in Beijing was built for the Olympic and Paralympic Games of 2008. This modern complex represents a contemporary architectural approach as compared to the more traditional buildings that dominate the city. Among its signature items are the iconic Bird's Nest, otherwise known as the main Olympic stadium, and the beautiful Water Cube – the Aquatics Center for water sports.
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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.6 Km or 3.5 Miles
Beijing's Historical Temples Tour II

Beijing's Historical Temples Tour II

The places of worship are some of the best links to the city's history. The unique churches, Buddhist and Taoist Temples, and beautiful Muslim Mosques all tell great tales of the history of Beijing. Despite that many of them have been partially or completely destroyed over the years either by wars or by the changes of political power, a good number of them still remain. You can visit a few...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles
Beijing's Historical Temples Tour I

Beijing's Historical Temples Tour I

Chinese temples are of unique beauty and have withstood many dynasties. However because the temples have always been connected to the imperial families, many of them were destroyed when the last dynasty ended in 1911. Nevertheless, a great number of beautiful temples with great history still stand in Beijing. Take this self-guided walking tour to discover a few famous temples in the northern part...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.9 Km or 0.6 Miles

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