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The Building of Nanjing (32); Confucius Temple (Fuzimiao)

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Intended as a place to worship and consecrate Confucius, Fuzimiao in Nanjing has seen its share of violence, the area around it having gone through ravishing epochs of change.

The essence of Qinhuai River scenery and one of Nanjing’s two 5A scenic spots, the 4.2-kilometre long inner Qinhuai River from Dongshuitou to Xishuiguan has been associated with the dwellings of prominent families ever since the Six Dynasties and as a gathering place for merchants, scholars and Confucianism.

Those scholarly connections are the key. In ancient times, Confucius should be worshipped whenever a school is established.

Nanjing’s Confucius Temple was first built in 337CE with Wang Dao to thank. Wang was the Marquis of Wugang, a politician, calligrapher and a founding hero of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. It was his idea that “governing a country should focus on cultivating talent”.

Hence, the Imperial College was established on the south bank of the Qinhuai River. It was moved to the north bank in 1034 , whereupon a temple was built in front of the Imperial College for that all-important worship of Confucius.

But the great sage would turn out to have other matters on hand from time to time. For Nanjing’s Fuzimiao was destroyed by fire during the Jianyan years of the Southern Song dynasty. Such destruction would continue regularly; on four occasions in total, the last being at the hands of the Japanese in 1937, with their artillery fire. 

While the current buildings date from the 19th century during the Qing Dynasty, with various additions made since, that we know today is the result of reparations and rebuilds which took place since 1984; efforts which would lead to Confucius Temple in Nanjing being rated as one of the “Top 40 National Tourist Attractions” in 1991.

Used on and off in the late 1920s and 1930s as army barracks for the KMT, Confucius Temple nevertheless still seems to be unable to free itself from the shackles of conflict.

Therein, and with the Kuiguang Pavilion to the east and the Juxing Pavilion to the west, stone pillars are to be found in front of the temple, inscribed with the words, “Civil and Military Ministers Dismount Here”, ostensibly to show respect for he called the “Most Holy King of Literature and Propaganda”.

Among Fuzimiao’s other highlights is the large screen wall that dates from 1575. It is 110 meters long and is the longest of its kind in all of China.

Confucius Temple today stands at not only the cultural and educational centre of Ming and Qing Nanjing, but also as a building complex that is up there with the best of anything China has to offer.

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