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April 26, 2015

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Much thought went into philosopher’s temple

THERE were once more than 1,700 temples in China devoted to the memory of Confucius (551-479 BC), one of the greatest Chinese philosophers and educators. Today, there are still about 60 such temples on the Chinese mainland and quite a few in other parts of the world, such as Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, as well as China’s Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Among all of them, the Temple of Confucius in Qufu, Confucius’ hometown, in east China’s Shandong Province is the largest and oldest place of worship for the sage and his disciples and has long been deemed an architectural paradigm for other such temples around the world.

Built in 478 BC, one year after Confucius died, the temple was based on the sage’s residence in Qufu. It has been extended and rebuilt for many times over the 2,000 years that followed. Today, the complex covers a total area of 16,000 square meters and consists of more than 460 rooms.

One major rebuilding of the temple took place in 1499, shortly after the Forbidden City was established in today’s Beijing, then the capital of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

This explains why the revamped Temple of Confucius resembled the imperial palace in so many ways.

The temple is divided into nine courtyards, arranged along a 1,120-meter-long, north-south central axis. Visitors are often impressed by the grandiose buildings, red walls, ancient trees and yellow tiles.

Many buildings in the complex were constructed using unique architectural techniques. For instance, brackets are elongated in order to provide a visual impression of extra ceiling spaciousness.

No wonder, famous Chinese architect Liang Sicheng once described the Qufu temple as the only one of its kind in the world architecture.

The first south gate of the complex is called Lingxing Gate, named after a star in the Great Bear constellation and representing great scholars in Chinese folklore. The gate was built in 1754 with stone pillars and iron beams. There are also stone sculptures of four legendary generals descending from Heaven.

Other major buildings in the temple include the Thirteen Stele Pavilions, the Kuiwen Hall, the Apricot Platform and the Dacheng Hall.

The Thirteen Stele Pavilions are arranged into two rows, housing large and small steles containing inscriptions of imperial edicts or text extolling the sage.

The Kuiwen Hall, located in the middle of the temple, is a library built in 1018. The top story of the 23-meter-tall building used to store classics and calligraphic works offered by kings and emperors, while the ground story was used to house incense, candles and other articles used by emperors to pay homage to the sage.

The Apricot Platform sits at a site believed to be the place where Confucius gave lectures to his disciples. The platform is a square pavilion with a double-roof covered with yellow tiles. Inside, it features a delicately carved caisson and colorfully painted beams.

The Dacheng Hall, or the Hall of Great Achievement, is a must-see and the most important structure in the temple. Its splendid eaves are supported by 28 richly decorated stone pillars, each about six meters tall and 0.8 meters in diameter. Every one was carved out of a single piece of rock.

The 10 thick stone columns on the front side of the hall are covered with reliefs of coiled dragons and clouds and have long been considered a global gem of stone carving.

In 1961, the Qufu Temple of Confucius was declared a key cultural relic site in China by the State Council, or the Cabinet, of the country.

In 1994, together with the Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu, the temple was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

石雕石柱 (shidiāo shízhù) Carved stone column

Carved stone columns played an important role in ancient Chinese architecture. They were widely used in temples, palaces, towers, pavilions and even vernacular dwellings. Some were erected in open-air public places.

Consisting of capital, shaft and base, such columns can be seen in a variety of shapes — such as square, circular, semicircular, hexagonal and octagonal.

They are often richly carved with designs and patterns befitting the buildings that they are part of, or the surroundings where they stand.

Typical designs include carp, bats, clouds, cranes, phoenixes, dragons and other auspicious animals and natural phenomena, plus auspicious plants and flowers.

For instance, the 10 giant stone columns standing in front of the Dacheng Hall in the Temple of Confucius in Qufu in east China’s Shandong Province feature exquisitely carved dragons and clouds.

The two tall cloud pillars standing in front of the Tian’anmen Rostrum in Beijing are another good example of carved stone columns.

Through generations, Chinese artisans have developed a large number of stone carving techniques, such as open work carving, bas relief carving, deep relief carving, intaglio carving and lettering, to create numerous great works of architecture.




 

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