Mountain Ni, about 30 km to the southeast of Qufu, enjoys a great cultural significance because it is traditionally regarded as the birthplace of Confucius. Mountain Ni was called the Niqiu Mountain before. Since Confucius' surname is Kong and his given name is Qiu, so the name was changed to Mountain Ni.
According to a Han Dynasty historian, Confucius’ parents-to-be, Kong He and Yan Zheng, went to pray at Mountain Ni and afterwards Yan Zheng gave birth to Confucius.
The current architectural complex in Mountain Ni contains three sets of buildings, the Kong He Temple, the Confucian Academy, and the Yusheng Memorial Temple. The existence of the Temple of Kong He can be traced back to the times of the Northern Wei dynasty (386–535 CE). Most of the extent structures of the temple date from either the Ming or the Qing era.
There are many historic sites related to Confucius such as the Guanchuan Pavilion, the Confucius Mother Well at the hillside and on top of Mountain Ni.