Confucius Temple
Confucius Temple in Suzhou, China
Confucius Temple Photo Gallery (Downloadable Pictures)
Suzhou’s Confucian Temple was originally established by
Fan Zhongyan in the 1035 under the Northern Song Dynasty for
use as part of a school. The current buildings date from
1474 during the Ming Dynasty, or later. The complex consists
of two courtyards: one to the east and one to the west. The
east courtyard was used for the worship of Confucius and is
dominated by the huge Hall of Great Attainment (Dashengdian)
where the spirit tablets of Confucius and other important
sages were housed. To the west is a second courtyard
separated from the first by a wall, where the Confucian
academy was located. The academy was run by the state and
had facilities for students to live and study. The large
hall to the north was where the local civil service exams
were given.
(Asian Historical Architecture)
