Things to do in Qufu

A guided tour is necessary to understand the Confucius Temple and Confucius Mansion, which preserve many historical sites and ancient trees, making them worthwhile for history enthusiasts. The Confucius Cemetery is the burial ground of the Confucius family; those who are not interested can skip it.

Amazing experience for adults seeking to learn more about the Confucianism. The only cons is that I wouldn’t recommend it for kids aged from 2 to 5 years old, as the place lacks of playground areas.

We arrived a bit early this morning; it doesn't open until 9:30. We arrived at 9:00 and forgot to check the opening time. Overall, only the University Hall area is worth seeing. There are various performances in the evening, so it's probably better to visit in the evening.

The official guide, Mr. Li, was excellent and definitely a plus for our experience at the Confucius Temple! Because it was past the summer holidays, there weren't many tourists, which made it a really pleasant experience. Mr. Li spoke softly and gently, making the explanations very comfortable, and the content was rich and interactive. Highly recommended!

Stepping into the Three Confucian Sites of Qufu, one truly understands the meaning of "A thousand years of rites and music returning to Eastern Lu." The Confucius Temple boasts towering ancient cypress trees, solemn red walls, and a series of interconnected gates, including the Lingxing Gate and the Dacheng Hall, with numerous steles standing tall, ensuring the unbroken lineage of venerating the sage for millennia. Passing through the Hongdao Gate leads to the Confucius Mansion, its halls and pavilions reflecting the life of the Duke Yansheng, with the scholarly atmosphere and family traditions permeating every courtyard. Finally, arriving at the Confucius Cemetery, the Everlasting Spring Archway stands serenely, ancient trees surrounding the sage's final resting place, creating an exceptionally tranquil atmosphere. There is no noisy extravagance, only the profound Confucian heritage spanning over two thousand years. Walking through it is not merely visiting historical sites, but a dialogue with the sages across time. Every wall and tree exudes scholarly spirit; this trip is not just sightseeing, but a profound cultural immersion.

We stayed at a hotel within the scenic area, which is like a Chinese-style version of Aranya, or an ancient version of Disneyland—something like that. The scenery is beautiful, there are many activities, and there are performances that are supposedly worth seeing, but the queues are too long, so we didn't get to see either the "One-Shot Show" or the "Celebrating the Harvest" show. Overall, it's worth the price and a very nice scenic area. The only downside is that it gets a bit dark at night, and I couldn't find the hotel. My child and I searched for ages like on an adventure until we found a young man driving a sightseeing vehicle. He provided excellent service and took us back to the hotel. Going in the late afternoon is best, before sunset. Excluding performances, interactions with NPCs, and meals, two hours is enough for just sightseeing. At night, with the lights on, it's like a bustling flower market in an ancient capital. It must be said, Confucius left behind a wealth of knowledge for posterity.

Konglin, also known as the Forest of the Most Holy, is located on Gulou North Street, Qufu City, Shandong Province. It was built in the 16th year of Duke Ai of Lu in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (479 BC) and is the family cemetery of Confucius and his descendants. Konglin covers an area of nearly 2 million square meters, with more than 100,000 tombs and a sacred road connected to the city gate. Confucius' tomb is located in the middle of Konglin, with a burial mound in the shape of a reclining axe. In the Han Dynasty, an altar was built and a sacred gate was built. In the Song Dynasty, stone rituals were carved. In the Yuan Dynasty, a stele was erected, a wall was built, and a double gate was built. In the Ming Dynasty, the tomb gate of the Xiangdian was rebuilt, and the Zhushui Bridge Archway and the Eternal Spring Archway were added. The rich ground cultural relics in Konglin are of great value for studying the evolution of China's burial system and ancient politics, economy, culture, customs, calligraphy, and art. On March 4, 1961, Konglin was announced by the State Council of the People's Republic of China as the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units4 . In December 1994, Konglin was announced as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. .

The light show at night is a highlight. The colorful lights decorate the bridge and the river bank so beautifully that people can't help but stop and admire them. The boat trip is very interesting, and the water curtain show and micro performances are very good.

When I first arrived in Qufu, I was surprised to see that Qufu also had a city wall. When I went to the scenic area and passed by the city wall, I realized that it was the Ming City of Qufu. The Confucius Mansion and Temple are inside the Ming City. The Ming City Wall has also undergone many renovations and is very magnificent!

The Yan Temple was built to commemorate Yan Hui and is a free attraction. It's a ten-minute walk from the east gate of the Confucius Temple. The archway at the entrance dates back to the Ming Dynasty, while the Louxiang Well is even older. Although the Leting Pavilion and Fusheng Hall are reconstructions, they are very well-preserved. My middle school student had just studied a classical Chinese essay about Yan Hui last semester, so the experience was excellent. Overall, it's worth a visit.