China Beijing Confucius Temple and Guozijian Museum

The Confucius Temple and Guozijian Museum is a combination of the Confucius Temple and the Imperial College, two ancient buildings in Beijing that are closely adjacent to each other and share a similar theme.The ticket office is located by the main gate of the Confucius Temple. After buying a ticket, enter the Confucius Temple, and enter the Guozijian through the “Chijingmen” next to the Beiting.

The Confucius Temple was built during the Yuan Dynasty and was the place where Confucius was worshipped during the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties.The building is very large, and a visit to the Confucius Temple takes about 1-2 hours.

There are three main things to look out for when visiting the Confucius Temple.The first is that the temple contains rare ancient buildings in the Yuan Dynasty style in Beijing, which are very unique.Second, there are numerous stone tablets in the courtyard, including inscriptions by Yuan Chonghuan, Lin Zexu, Li Hongzhang and others, the inscription tablets of the register of more than 50,000 scholars from the Yuan Dynasty to the late Qing Dynasty, and the Forest of Steles, which is engraved with the 13 Confucian Classics. They are rich in content and very precious.The third is the traditional ritual music and dance performance “Dacheng Yue” that is performed several times a day in the Chongsheng Ancestral Hall. It is a wonderful performance that showcases traditional culture and art.

In addition, the courtyard is full of ancient charm, with many towering ancient trees, tablets for worshipping Confucius, cultural relics exhibitions, and more, all of which can be visited.

The Imperial College was the national school of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and it was also the place where the emperors personally gave lectures in the past.Like the Confucius Temple, the buildings here are also quaint and ancient, and the towering old trees in the courtyard look simple and beautiful. It is suitable for visiting and taking photos, and a general tour takes about an hour.

When visiting the Guozijian, pay attention to the buildings in the courtyard.The buildings such as the Jixian Gate, Taixue Gate, and the glazed archway are very distinctive, especially the glazed archway, which is brightly colored and a landmark of the Imperial College.The main building of the Imperial College is the main building within the Imperial College. This building is surrounded by a circular pool on the outside and the central hall is square, which is very unusual.The adjacent Yiluntang was where ancient emperors gave lectures, and it is also worth a visit.

There are also permanent exhibitions such as the “Ancient Chinese Imperial Examination Exhibition” and the “Guozijian Original Exhibition” at the Guozijian, which visitors interested in the imperial examination system can visit.