Walking through the Wen Shang Confucian Temple, I contemplate the profound and enduring traditional culture
The Wen Shang Confucian Temple complex was originally built in the thirteenth year of the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty, covering an area of about 20,000 square meters. The complex is approximately 100 meters wide from east to west and 200 meters long from north to south. Existing structures include the Ji Men (Halberd Gate), Dacheng Hall, Ming Lun Hall, the Martyred Women's Shrine, and the Filial Piety Shrine, among others, making it a provincial-level cultural heritage site.
Historically, during the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Wen Shang Confucian Temple was continuously renovated and expanded in the style of the Qufu Confucian Temple, forming a large architectural complex centered around the Dacheng Hall.
Upon entering, the first thing one sees is the temple's main gate - the Lingxing Gate. The 'Lingxing Gate' is a stone structure on the central axis of the temple.
The Dacheng Hall is the main building of the temple and the central place for worshipping Confucius. The architectural style of the Dacheng Hall is a single-eave Xieshan style, and the plaque above the hall was inscribed by Mr. Kong Decheng, the seventy-seventh generation descendant of Confucius, in 1993. At the center of the hall, the statue of Confucius himself is enshrined. In ancient times, Confucius was revered as a 'Sage Endowed by Heaven' and 'The Wooden Clapper of Heaven.' He was one of the most learned men of his time and was later honored by rulers as Kong Shengren, the Supreme Sage, and the Ultimate Sage Teacher. His Confucian philosophy has had a profound impact on both China and the world.