Why is Nanjing Confucian Temple special?
Located in the southern part of Nanjing, it is a famous ancient relic in the city, covering an area of over 26,000 square meters. It was a place to worship and consecrate Confucius, the great philosopher and educator of ancient China. Actually, this temple suffered repeated damage and has been rebuilt on several occasions since that time. But still, it is a place full of the Chinese civilization where you can get to know the honest folkway of Nanjing.
Nanjing Confucian Temple Highlights
The Great Achievement Hall (Dacheng Palace)
The Great Achievement Hall is a great attraction in the Confucian Temple, where sacrificial ceremonies took place in ancient time. It is fenced by decorated stone on the three sides, with copper furnaces placed on the four corners of the hall.
There are two must-go places in the inner hall of The Great Achievement Hall. The first is the largest figure of Confucius in China. The second is the beautiful collection of 38 vivid panels which are made by jade, gold and silver, depicting the life of Confucius. The bronze statue of Confucius and the white marble statues of his eight disciples are standing outside The Great Achievement Hall.
The Jiangnan Examination School (Jiangnan Gongyuan)
Next to the Confucian Temple is the Jiangnan Examination School, which was the largest examination area for people taking the imperial examinations in ancient China. Now it is the only specialized museum presenting the imperial examination system.
As the biggest examination school in China, the development of academy began in the Southern Song Dynasty and expanded during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The main building is the three-storey Mingyuan Tower which owns 20,644 examination rooms.