Qufu 曲阜市 Kufow | |
|---|---|
 Temple ofDuke of Zhou  Qufu's south gate  Mount Ni Academy | |
 Location in Jining | |
  Qufu Location in Shandong Show map of Shandong Qufu Qufu (China) Show map of China | |
| Coordinates (Qufu municipal government):35°34′55″N116°59′10″E / 35.5819°N 116.9862°E /35.5819; 116.9862 | |
| Country | People's Republic of China |
| Province | Shandong |
| Prefecture-level city | Jining |
| Area | |
| 815 km2 (315 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 65 m (213 ft) |
| Population (2017) | |
| 653,000 | |
| • Density | 801/km2 (2,080/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 188,000 |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (China Standard) |
| Postal code | 273100 |
| Website | http://www.qufu.gov.cn/ |
| Qufu | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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.svg) "Qufu" in Chinese characters | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 曲阜 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Postal | Kufow | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | "Crooked Hill" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Qufu (pronounced[tɕʰý.fû];Chinese:曲阜) is a county-level city in southwesternShandong province,East China. It is located about 130 kilometres (81 mi) south of the provincial capitalJinan and 45 km (28 mi) northeast of the prefectural seat atJining. Qufu has an area of 815 square kilometers, and a total population of 653,000 inhabitants, of which, 188,000 live in urban areas.[1][2]
Qufu is best known as the hometown ofConfucius, who is traditionally believed to have been born at nearbyMount Ni. The city contains numerous historic palaces, temples and cemeteries. The three most famous cultural sites of the city, collectively known asSan Kong (三孔; 'the Three Confucian [sites]', are theTemple of Confucius (Chinese:孔庙;pinyin:Kǒngmiào), theCemetery of Confucius (孔林;Kǒnglín), and theKong Family Mansion (孔府;Kǒngfǔ). Together, these three sites have been listed as aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site since 1994.
The name Qufu literally means "crooked hill", and refers to a mile-long hill that was part of the city during its time as capital of thestate of Lu.[3]
Before the wide adoption ofPinyin, the name of the city (often viewed as a county seat, i.e.Qufu xian) was transcribed in English in a variety of ways, such asCh'ü-fou-hien,[4]Kio-feu-hien,[5]Kio-fou-hien,[5]Kiu-fu,[6]Kiuh Fow,Keuhfow,Kufow, andChufou.[7]
The city of Qufu is divided into 4subdistricts, and 8towns.[8] The city government is located withinLucheng Subdistrict.[2][8]
| English name | Pinyin | Hanzi | Subdivision Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucheng Subdistrict | Lǔchéng Jiēdào | 鲁城街道 | Subdistrict |
| Shuyuan Subdistrict [zh] | Shūyuàn Jiēdào | 书院街道 | Subdistrict |
| Shizhuang Subdistrict [zh] | Shízhuāng Jiēdào | 时庄街道 | Subdistrict |
| Xiaoxue Subdistrict [zh] | Xiǎoxuě Jiēdào | 小雪街道 | Subdistrict |
| Wucun [zh] | Wúcūn Zhèn | 吴村镇 | Town |
| Yaocun, Qufu [zh] | Yáocūn Zhèn | 姚村镇 | Town |
| Lingcheng [zh] | Língchéng Zhèn | 陵城镇 | Town |
| Nishan [zh] | Níshān Zhèn | 尼山镇 | Town |
| Wangzhuang [zh] | Wángzhuāng Zhèn | 王庄镇 | Town |
| Xizou [zh] | Xīzōu Zhèn | 息陬镇 | Town |
| Shimenshan [zh] | Shíménshān Zhèn | 石门山镇 | Town |
| Fangshan [zh] | Fángshān Zhèn | 防山镇 | Town |
During theShang, the area around Qufu was home to the people ofYan, who were counted by theChinese among the "Eastern Barbarians" orDongyi. Along withPugu (aroundBinzhou) andXu (along theHuai River), Yan joined the Shang princeWu Geng and theThree Guards intheir failed rebellion against theDuke of Zhouc. 1042 BC. After the rebels' defeat, the Duke launched punitive campaigns against the Dongyi, forcing their submission and placing their territory under loyal nobles. The territory of the Yan became part of thestate of Lu, who made Qufu their capital throughout theSpring and Autumn period. This city had walls considerably larger than the presentMing-era fortifications, including more land to the east and north.
During theTang dynasty and the early days of theSong dynasty, the city was centered around the present-day Temple of Duke Zhou, at the northeastern corner of today's walled city. At 1012, Qufu was renamed to Xianyuan County (仙源縣), and relocated to the new site, some 4 km (2.5 mi) east of today's walled city, next to thesupposed birthplace of the legendaryYellow Emperor and thetomb of his sonShaohao. A temple in honor of the Yellow Emperor was built there; all that remains today are two giant stelae (theShou Qiu site).[9]
After the conquest of the northern China by theJurchens, the newJin dynasty renamed Xianyuan back to Qufu (in 1142), but the city stayed at its Song location. It was not until the reign of theJiajing Emperor of theMing dynasty (1522) that the present-day city wall was built. The site of the city in 1012–1522 is nowJiuxian Village (旧县村).[9]
During theSouthern Song dynasty the descendant ofConfucius at Qufu, theDuke Yansheng Kong Duanyou fled south with the future SongEmperor Gaozong toQuzhou inZhejiang, while the newly establishedJin dynasty in the north appointed Kong Duanyou's brother Kong Duancao who remained in Qufu as Duke Yansheng.[10][11] From that time up until theYuan dynasty, there were two Duke Yanshengs, one in the north in Qufu and the other in the south at Quzhou. An invitation to come back to Qufu was extended to the southern Duke Yansheng Kong Zhu by the Yuan dynasty emperor Kublai Khan. The title was taken away from the southern branch after Kong Zhu rejected the invitation,[12] so the northern branch of the family kept the title of Duke Yansheng. The southern branch still remained in Quzhou where they lived to this day. Confucius's descendants in Quzhou alone number 30,000.[13][14] TheHanlin Academy rank ofWujing Boshi (五經博士) was awarded to the southern branch at Quzhou by a Ming emperor while the northern branch at Qufu held the title Duke Yansheng.[15][16][17][18] Kong Ruogu (孔若古), also known as Kong Chuan (孔傳)[19] 47th generation[20] was claimed to be the ancestor of the Southern branch after Kong Zhu died by Northern branch member Kong Guanghuang.[18][21][22]
In 1948, Qufu played a minor role in theYanzhou Campaign of theChinese Civil War.
The artifacts of the historical sites at Qufu suffered extensive damage during theCultural Revolution when about 200 staff members and students ofBeijing Normal University led by Tan Houlan (谭厚兰, 1937–1982), one of the five most powerful student leaders of the Cultural Revolution, came to Qufu and destroyed more than 6,000 artifacts as part of the campaign to destroy the "Four Olds" in November 1966.[23][24][25]
The small historical center of Qufu is surrounded by the restoredMing-era city wall and rivers/moats. TheDrum Tower (Gulou) is in the center of the walled city; theTemple of Confucius (Kong Miao), Confucius Mansion (Kong Fu) and theTemple of Yan Hui (Yan Miao) occupy large sections of the land within the wall.[26]
TheConfucius Cemetery (Kong Lin) is located 1.3 km (0.81 mi) to the north of the walled city. The modern downtown is located south of the walled city. There is also a mosque and a thrivingMuslim neighborhood and market that is located just outside the west gate of the walled city.
The Qufu train station and major industrial areas are on the east side, a few kilometers east of the historical city. TheShaohao Tomb (少昊陵;Shǎohào Líng) andShou Qiu historical site (寿丘;Shòu Qiū, the purported birthplace of the legendaryYellow Emperor), are on the eastern outskirts of the modern Qufu as well, near Jiuxian village.
The town of Shimenshan in Qufu is part of the internationalCittaslow movement in China.[27][28][29]
TheSi River and theYi River [zh] both pass through the city.[2]
Qufu has a humid continental climate, bordering on a humid subtropical climate. Qufu experiences an average annual precipitation of 666.3 mm (26.23 in), and an average annual temperature of 13.6 °C (56.5 °F).[2]
| Climate data for Qufu, elevation 62 m (203 ft), (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1981–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 16.1 (61.0) | 23.1 (73.6) | 27.5 (81.5) | 32.7 (90.9) | 36.7 (98.1) | 39.4 (102.9) | 41.0 (105.8) | 38.8 (101.8) | 36.2 (97.2) | 35.6 (96.1) | 26.0 (78.8) | 18.8 (65.8) | 41.0 (105.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 5.1 (41.2) | 8.9 (48.0) | 14.9 (58.8) | 21.6 (70.9) | 27.1 (80.8) | 31.6 (88.9) | 32.2 (90.0) | 31.1 (88.0) | 27.5 (81.5) | 21.7 (71.1) | 13.6 (56.5) | 6.8 (44.2) | 20.2 (68.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 0.0 (32.0) | 3.4 (38.1) | 9.3 (48.7) | 15.9 (60.6) | 21.6 (70.9) | 26.2 (79.2) | 27.7 (81.9) | 26.6 (79.9) | 22.2 (72.0) | 15.8 (60.4) | 8.1 (46.6) | 1.8 (35.2) | 14.9 (58.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −3.8 (25.2) | −1.0 (30.2) | 4.3 (39.7) | 10.5 (50.9) | 16.2 (61.2) | 21.0 (69.8) | 23.8 (74.8) | 22.8 (73.0) | 17.8 (64.0) | 11.2 (52.2) | 4.0 (39.2) | −1.9 (28.6) | 10.4 (50.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −17.8 (0.0) | −13.7 (7.3) | −9.8 (14.4) | −1.7 (28.9) | 4.0 (39.2) | 11.5 (52.7) | 16.6 (61.9) | 12.7 (54.9) | 7.0 (44.6) | −2.0 (28.4) | −11.9 (10.6) | −14.8 (5.4) | −17.8 (0.0) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 7.6 (0.30) | 11.8 (0.46) | 16.6 (0.65) | 35.9 (1.41) | 55.9 (2.20) | 87.8 (3.46) | 196.3 (7.73) | 172.3 (6.78) | 65.7 (2.59) | 31.0 (1.22) | 28.4 (1.12) | 9.9 (0.39) | 719.2 (28.31) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.1 mm) | 2.8 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 5.4 | 6.2 | 7.6 | 11.6 | 10.5 | 6.9 | 5.2 | 4.9 | 3.3 | 71.6 |
| Average snowy days | 2.4 | 2.6 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 8.2 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 61 | 57 | 53 | 56 | 59 | 60 | 75 | 77 | 71 | 67 | 68 | 65 | 64 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 156.5 | 158.3 | 205.1 | 230.6 | 251.0 | 227.6 | 202.5 | 201.8 | 188.3 | 185.0 | 160.7 | 154.8 | 2,322.2 |
| Percentagepossible sunshine | 50 | 51 | 55 | 59 | 58 | 52 | 46 | 49 | 51 | 54 | 53 | 51 | 52 |
| Source:China Meteorological Administration[30][31]all-time August record high[32] | |||||||||||||
The originalBeijing–Shanghai railway, constructed in the early 20th century, passes through Qufu.[2] For a century, most passengers traveling to or from Qufu, would use the train station atYanzhou, some 15 km (9.3 mi) to the west.
TheYanshi Railway, which connectsYanzhou andRizhao as part of the broader Xinshi Railway (新石铁路), passes through the city.[2] A small passenger station operating on the southeast side of the city (35°34′58″N117°01′30″E / 35.582860°N 117.025091°E /35.582860; 117.025091) serves this line.
The north–southBeijing–Shanghai high-speed railway, which opened in 2011, runs through Qufu. This line'sQufu East railway station is located a few kilometers south-east of the city (35°33′23″N117°03′49″E / 35.556390°N 117.063656°E /35.556390; 117.063656).Qufu South railway station, on the east–westRizhao–Lankao high-speed railway, opened in 2021.
China National Highway 104 andChina National Highway 327 both pass through Qufu.[2]
A 12 km (7.5 mi), 12 station monorail to connect Qufu andZoucheng began construction in the first half of 2017, however construction was halted. A 6.3 km (3.9 mi) section was due to be completed in January 2018 to allow for testing to commence. The complete line was originally due to open in 2018.[33] As of July 2021 the local government hopes to complete the line.[34]
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
 Apricot Platform in the Confucius Temple | |
 Interactive map of Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu | |
| Criteria | Cultural: i, iv, vi |
| Reference | 704 |
| Inscription | 1994 (18thSession) |
Since 1994, the Temple of Confucius (Chinese:孔庙;pinyin:Kǒng Miào) has been part of theUNESCOWorld Heritage Site "Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu". The two other parts of the site are the nearbyKong Family Mansion (Chinese:孔府; pinyin:Kǒng Fǔ), where the main-line descendants of Confucius lived, and theCemetery of Confucius (Chinese:孔林; pinyin:Kǒng Lín) a couple kilometers to the north, where Confucius and many of his descendants have been buried. Those three sites are collectively known in Qufu asSan Kong (三孔), i.e. "The Three Confucian [sites]".
Within two years after the death of Confucius, his former house in Qufu was already consecrated as a temple by the Duke ofLu. In 205 BC, EmperorLiu Bang of theHan dynasty was the first emperor to offer sacrifices to the memory of Confucius in Qufu. He set an example for many emperors and high officials to follow. Later, emperors would visit Qufu after their enthronement or on important occasions such as a successful war. In total, 12 different emperors paid 20 personal visits to Qufu to worship Confucius. About 100 others sent their deputies for 196 official visits. The original three-room house of Confucius was removed from the temple complex during a rebuilding undertaken in 611 AD. In 1012 and in 1094, during theSong dynasty, the temple was extended into a design with three sections and four courtyards, around which eventually more than 400 rooms were arranged. Fire and vandalism destroyed the temple in 1214, during theJin dynasty. It was restored to its former extent by the year 1302 during theYuan dynasty. Shortly thereafter, in 1331, the temple was framed in an enclosure wall modelled on the Imperial palace. After another devastation by fire in 1499, the temple was finally restored to its present scale. In 1724, yet another fire destroyed the main hall and the sculptures it contained. The subsequent restoration was completed in 1730. Many of the replacement sculptures were again destroyed during the Cultural Revolution in 1966. In total, the Temple of Confucius has undergone 15 major renovations, 31 large repairs, and numerous small building measures.
The temple complex is the second largest historical building complex in China (after theForbidden City)—it covers an area of 16,000 square metres (170,000 sq ft) and has a total of 460 rooms. Because the last major redesign following the fire in 1499 took place shortly after the building of the Forbidden City in theMing dynasty, the architecture of the Temple of Confucius resembles that of the Forbidden City in many ways. The main part of the temple consists of 9 courtyards arranged on a central axis, which is oriented in the north–south direction and is 1.3 kilometres (0.81 mi) in length. The first three courtyards have small gates and are planted with tall pine trees, they serve an introductory function. The first (southernmost) gate is named "Lingxing Gate" after a star in theGreat Bear constellation, the name suggests that Confucius is a star from heaven. The buildings in the remaining courtyards form the heart of the complex. They are impressive structures with yellow roof-tiles (otherwise reserved for the emperor) and red-painted walls, they are surrounded by dark-green pine trees to create a color contrast withcomplementary colors. The main buildings are theStele Pavilions (e.g., Jin and Yuan dynasties, 1115–1368), the Kuiwen Hall (built in 1018, restored in 1504 during theMing dynasty and in 1985), the Xing Tan Pavilion (simplified Chinese:杏坛;traditional Chinese:杏壇;pinyin:Xìng Tán, Apricot Platform), the De Mu Tian Di Arch, the Dacheng Hall (built in theQing dynasty), and the Hall of Confucius' Wife. The Dacheng Hall (Chinese:大成殿;pinyin:Dàchéng diàn,Great Perfection Hall) is the architectural center of the present day complex. The hall covers an area of 54 by 34 metres (177 by 112 ft) and stands slightly less than 32 m (105 ft) tall.
It is supported by 28 richly decorated pillars, each 6 m (20 ft) high and 0.8 m (2 ft 7 in) in diameter and carved in one piece out of local rock. The ten columns on the front side of the hall are decorated with coiled dragons. It is said that these columns were covered during visits by the emperor in order not to arouse his envy. Dacheng Hall served as the principal place for offering sacrifices to the memory of Confucius. In the center of the courtyard in front of Dacheng Hall stands the "Apricot Platform", which commemorates Confucius teaching his students under an apricot tree. Each year at Qufu and at many other Confucian temples a ceremony is held on September 28 to commemorateConfucius' birthday.
The Cemetery of Confucius (孔林;Kǒng Lín) lies to the north of the town of Qufu. The oldest graves found in this location date back to theZhou dynasty. The original tomb erected here in memory of Confucius on the bank of the Sishui River had the shape of anaxe. In addition, it had a brick platform for sacrifices. The present-day tomb is a cone-shaped hill. Tombs for the descendants of Confucius and additional stela to commemorate him were soon added around Confucius' tomb.
Since Confucius' descendants were conferred noble titles and were given imperial princesses as wives, many of the tombs in the cemetery show the status symbols of noblemen. Tombstones came in use during the Han dynasty, today, there are about 3,600 tombstones dating from theSong,Yuan,Ming andQing dynasties still standing in the cemetery.
In 1331 construction work began on the wall and gate of the cemetery. In total, the cemetery has undergone 13 renovations and extensions. Eventually, by the late 18th century, the perimeter wall reached a length of 7.5 km (4.7 mi), enclosing an area of 3.6 square kilometres (1.4 sq mi). In this space, the tombs of more than 100,000 descendants of Confucius, who have been buried there over a period of about 2000 years, can be found. The oldest graves date back to theZhou dynasty, the most recent of which belong to descendants in the 76th and 78th generation.
During theCultural Revolution, the Kong family cemetery was branded a "reactionary" site and was subject to vandalism and desecration. The tombs of Confucius and his descendants were dug up, looted and flattened. Confucius statue was pulled down and paraded through the streets. According to statistics published after the Cultural Revolution, 100,000 volumes of classical texts were burned, 6,618 cultural artefacts were destroyed or damaged, one thousand stelae were smashed, 5,000 ancient pines were felled and over 2,000 graves were dug up during the period.[35] The corpse of the 76thDuke of Qufu was removed from its grave, hung naked from a tree in front of the palace and later incinerated.[36]
More than 10,000 mature trees give the cemetery a forest-like appearance. A road runs from the north gate of Qufu to the exterior gate of the cemetery in a straight line. It is 1,266 m (4,154 ft) in length and lined bycypresses andpine trees. Along this road lies theYan Temple, dedicated to Confucius'favorite student.
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Thedirect descendants of Confucius lived in the Kong family Mansion (孔府;Kǒng Fǔ) located to the east of the temple. They were in charge of tending to the temple and cemetery. In particular, they were in charge of conducting elaborate religious ceremonies on occasions such as plantings, harvests, honoring the dead, and birthdays. The Kong family was in control of the largest private rural estate in China. The first mansion was built in 1038 during the Song dynasty and was originally connected directly to the temple. During a rebuilding in 1377 directed by the first Ming dynasty emperor, it was moved a short distance away from the temple. In 1503, it was expanded into three rows of buildings with 560 rooms and—like the Confucius Temple—9 courtyards. The mansion underwent a complete renovation in 1838 only to perish in a fire 47 years later in 1887. It was rebuilt two years later; the cost of both 19th-century renovations was covered by the Emperor. Today, the mansion comprises 152 buildings with 480 rooms, which cover an area of 12,470 square metres (134,200 sq ft). Its tallest structure is the four-story refuge tower (避难楼;Bìnán Lóu) that was designed as a shelter during an attack but was never used. The family mansion was inhabited by descendants of Confucius until 1937, when Confucius' descendant in the 76th and 77th generations fled toChongqing during theSecond Sino-Japanese War and later during theChinese Civil War toTaiwan, where the head of the family still resides.
The layout of the mansion is traditionally Chinese, it separates official rooms in the front from the residential quarters in the rear. Furthermore, the spatial distribution of the buildings according to the seniority, gender, and status of their inhabitants reflects the Confucian principle of order and hierarchy: The most senior descendant of Confucius took up residence in the central of the three main buildings; his younger brother occupied the Yi Gun hall to the east.
In Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius, a "Digital Confucian Culture Protection Project" is underway. This initiative involves the high-resolution 3D scanning of ancient temples, cemeteries, and archival documents to create a comprehensive digital archive for preservation, research, and virtual access.[37]
Qufu's economy consists of a number different industries. Agriculture, specifically grain production, is a major industry for the city. The other main industries are food processing, textile, construction materials, chemical, coal mining, pharmacy, paper making and industrial machinery.[38] Qufu has also benefited greatly from tourism, holding a number of cultural festivals and exhibitions, largely centered aroundConfucius.[39]
The city's main mineral deposits includecoal,phosphorus, andlimestone.[2]
Qufu Normal University is located in Qufu city, and has an additional campus inRizhao.[40] The university, founded in 1955, offers 87undergraduatemajors, 25master's degrees, and 11doctoral degrees.[40]
Qufu is a traditional centre ofConfucianism, being the area whereConfucius was born. The city is home to the holiestTemple of Confucius, to the Mausoleum of Confucius and to the Mansion of the Kong Family. The city also has a branch of theHoly Church of Confucius (孔圣堂;Kǒngshèngtáng) and hosts the headquarters of the Federation of Confucian Culture.
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Qufu travel guide from Wikivoyage| National Famous Historical and Cultural Cities inShandong Province |
| Qufu |Jinan |Qingdao |Liaocheng |Zoucheng |Linzi |Tai'an |Yantai |Penglai |Qingzhou |
| East |
|  |
|---|---|---|
| South Central |
| |
| Southwestern | ||
| North | ||
| Northeast | ||
| Northwestern | ||
| Multiple regions |
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