The Confucian Graveyard is located to the north of the Qufu, Shandong Province, 1.5 km away from north of the Qufu city. It is a scenic spot for visiting and appreciating of Confucius, but also it is a graveyard with largest area and lasted for the longest time in the world. The Zhisheng Lin Gate is the gate of the Confucian Graveyard, built in Yuan Dynasty, while the Zhisheng Lin was built in Ming Dynasty.
The sacred way that leads up to the cemetery is 1,266 meters (4,153 feet) and is lined with verdant pines and cedars. At the end of the road stands a wooden memorial archway - called the Most Sacred Cemetery (Zhi Sheng Lin), and is the gate to the Cemetery of Confucius.
Allegedly, after Confucius died, his students brought all kinds of strange trees from various places and planted here to thank for his teaching knowledge, imparting knowledge, resolving doubts and cultivating them.
For thousands of years, trees are added continuously, now they are as many as over 30,000. As a result of accumulation of successive dynasties, now it becomes the largest artificial forest in China, in the forest there perch many various birds and little animals. The flowers and green trees attract a lot of people in Qufu to rest and stroll in it.
Planting for Confucius was started from the second year after he died, with the promotion of Confucian position day by day, the scope of the Confucian Graveyard becomes bigger and bigger. After Han Dynasty, the successive governors once rebuilt the Confucian Graveyard, so it forms today's scope gradually.
The Confucian Graveyard coves an area of 2 square meters. As high as over 3 meters, the wall around it covers 5.6km and is 1 meter thick. Now there are more than 100,000 evergreen ancient trees of different kinds in Confucian Graveyard and it is the largest artificial garden in China.
With the standing tombs and tablets in the graveyard, it has tens of halls, gates and archways. It is the clan ancient graveyard group lasted longest time, preserved most perfectly and with the largest scope in the world. The modern famous literati named Guo Moruo once said: "The Confucian Graveyard is a very good natural museum and it is also an annals of Confucian clan." As for the research on the development of Chinese ancient politics, economy, culture and burying customs, the Confucian Graveyard is a quite good reference.
In fact, the Confucian Graveyard is also a substantial act of "plant trees for ten years, cultivate people for hundreds of years". It is the largest repay to Confucius. The trees are growing continuously, the Confucian Graveyard is vaster and vaster. It symbolizes that some people always devote themselves to teaching every generation.
Teaching is like planting trees, it needs people to devote themselves heart and soul and inherit it. As the growing and multiplying of the trees, previous people plant trees and they shades for the posterity, cultivating people is as far-reaching as planting trees.
Today it comprises more than 100 buildings. The small house of the Kong family developed into a gigantic aristocratic residence, of which 152 buildings remain. The Qufu complex of monuments has retained its outstanding artistic and historic character due to the devotion of successive Chinese emperors over more than 2,000 years.
Tranquil Graveyard Grave of Confucius, the master’s grave mound-although it is not certain whether he is actually buried here-rises up in the center of the cemetery. The gravestone (1443) carried the inscription “Grave of the Sacred King of Culture, who achieved Absolute Perfection”. To the east of the grave are buried his son and grandson. Behind the Zhushui Bridge is the graveyard, dating from the Eastern Zhou, which houses the tomb of Confucius, the tombs of his son Kong Li and grandson Kong Ji.
Royal Grave This is the largest and magnificent grave second to Grave of Confucius'. Built in 1825 and reconstructed in 1980, this grave was built for the daughter of Emperor Qianlong of Qing dynasty. Qianlong let his daughter marry with Kong Family, so you can imagine how important and great this family is. The pavilions, towers, halls and archways built in various historical periods are set in a forest.
Sacred Road With the length of 1266 meters, it stretches its way to the gate Confucian Cemetery. There are countless ancient trees being planted orderly along this road and most of them were planted in Song and Yuan dynasty. This Sacred Road construct a peaceful and cooling atmosphere and the trees performed as the guides to Confucian Cemetery.
Admission Fee:
Feb. 16 - Nov. 14: CNY 40 CNY 150 for through ticket of Kong Lin, Kong Miao and Kong Fu; Nov. 15 - the next Feb. 15: CNY 30 CNY 130 for through ticket of Kong Lin, Kong Miao and Kong Fu
