e 'Number One Family Under Heaven' Kong Family Mansion | The Millennium Mansion of Confucius' Direct Descendants

After visiting the Confucius Temple, coming out from the east side, there is a street with a strong commercial atmosphere, lined with shops selling souvenirs and snacks, where tasting the Shandong specialty of large pancakes rolled with green onions is very fitting. Entering the Kong Family Mansion from this alley, also known as 'Yan Sheng Gong Mansion', it is acclaimed as the 'Number One Family Under Heaven'. It was the residence of the direct eldest son and grandson of Confucius. Emperor Gaozu of Han worshipped Confucius' tomb with the grand Taolao ceremony and conferred the title of Worship Lord to Confucius' ninth-generation descendant, representing the state in worshipping Confucius; thereafter, successive dynasties continued to bestow titles, and by the Song dynasty, he was titled 'Yan Sheng Gong'. An independent Yan Sheng Gong Mansion was established in the tenth year of Hongwu reign of the Ming dynasty. The Kong Family Mansion currently has over 400 rooms, halls, and chambers, with nine courtyards, and is grand in scale, covering an area of 240 acres. The front part served as the government office and the back part as the private residence, representing a typical combination of government office and private residence in China's feudal society. The Kong Family Mansion is laid out in three sections: the east, west, and central routes, with the central route being the main part of the mansion. At the very back of the Kong Family Mansion is a garden, where there is a souvenir shop that sells local specialty pastries as gift