Anshun Confucian Temple
By admin on 2015-01-14

Anshun Confucian Temple, also called Fuxue Palace, is located at the northeast of Anshun City. Covering an area of about 8000 square meters, the temple is a group of ancient buildings. It was first constructed during the year 1368 in the Ming Dynasty, and ruined in 1622. Then in 1624, it was reconstructed. The several-times renovations and expansions during the Qing Dynasty make the temple perfect. It is the earliest as well as the largest official Confucian temple in Guizhou Province . At present, there exist 22 architectures in the temple.

In front of the temple, there is a screen wall facing the gate on which there are inscriptions to eulogize the great man. At the entrance of the temple, there are the Li Gate and Yilu Gate, which are both festoon gates. Between the two gates, there is a carved wall with inscriptions of man and flowers, which called Palace Wall. On the head of the wall, there is a stele on which there are four Chinese characters, which means there are lots of palace walls. At the left foot of the Palace Wall, there is a Dismount Stele.

The Confucian Temple has four terraces. Except for the fourth terrace, the other three terraces are well preserved. And every terrace is gradually become higher and higher for they are built according to the slope. The first terrace can be divided into the upper and the lower courtyard. There is a half-moon shaped pond called Panchi Pond. Upon the pond, there bestride an arched stone bridge with three holes. Above every holes, there inlaid the carved dragon head or lion head, overlooking the surface of the water. In old times, people who had pass the provincial civil service examination should go through the bridge, and this is called Youpan. Going through the bridge, there is a stone archway called Lingxing Gate. On both sides of which there are the Jiexiao Hall and Minghuan Hall.

On the east and west ends of the second terrace, there built two pavilions, namely, Guixiang Pavilion and Zunjing Pavilion. It was used for putting up the list of the officials who would attend the sacrifice of Confucius. At present, only the Guixiang Pavilion is preserved. Stepping up the nine stone stairs, you are entering the third terrace. There is an architecture with suspension roof, called Dacheng Hall. In front of the hall, there is a pair of pillars which is 3 meters high and two people can just get their arms around. The pillars are carved by a whole piece of stone. And there are the engravings of a dragon entwining around the stone pillar. On the foot of each pillar, there is a carved lion carrying the dragon on its back.