Temple of the Duke of Zhou
曲阜周公庙
A temple dedicated to the Duke of Zhou, built on the palace ruins of the old Lu state capital. It is the most historically significant site in Qufu apart from the Three Confucian Sites.
The Temple of the Duke of Zhou, also called the Yuansheng Temple, lies in the northeast corner of Qufu on the palace ruins of the old Lu state city. It honors Duke Zhou Dan, a founding minister of the Western Zhou who established its rites and music. His son Boqin was enfeoffed in Lu and made Qufu its capital, so this site marks the beginning of the Lu state and the source of Confucius' saying Wu cong Zhou (I follow Zhou). The temple was first built in the Northern Song. The surviving buildings date from the Ming and Qing, and the modest complex has three courtyards. The main Yuansheng Hall enshrines a statue of the Duke of Zhou, and the side halls enshrine Boqin and a golden statue, the origin of the story of sealing the mouth three times. The temple holds more than 30 steles from successive dynasties, and ancient cypresses tower over the hall, with very few visitors and a quiet atmosphere. Behind the temple are rammed-earth platforms from the ruins of the Lu state city, a first-batch national key cultural heritage site, and from there you can see remnants of the Lu city walls. Admission is about 10 yuan, and a visit takes about 40 minutes. Getting there: it is about a 20-minute walk from the north gate of Kong Mansion, or 5 minutes by taxi. It can be combined with Confucius Cemetery (Kong Forest) on one route: Kong Forest, then the Temple of the Duke of Zhou, then back into town. Suggestions: this suits visitors interested in pre-Qin history as an extension of the Three Confucian Sites. It can be combined with Yan Temple (Fusheng Temple, honoring Yan Hui) inside the city and Shaohao Mausoleum (about 4 km east of town, known as the Chinese Pyramid) for an off-the-beaten-path half-day route through Qufu. Notes: the temple's opening hours are shorter than those of the Three Confucian Sites, so arrive before 5 pm. The surrounding roads are remote, and visiting after dark is not recommended.
Opening hours
About 08:00–17:00
Nearby sights
- Temple of Yan Hui
- Gulou Street & Wumaci Street
- Kong Family Mansion
- Qufu Lu State Ancient City Site
- Temple of Confucius
- Ming City Wall of Qufu
- Cemetery of Confucius (Kong Lin)
- Confucius Six Arts City