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Kong Family Mansion

Introducing Kong Family Mansion (from wikipedia)
The Kong Family Mansion was the historical residence of the direct descendants of Confucius in Qufu, the hometown of Confucius in Shandong Province. The extant structures mainly date from the Ming and Qing dynasties. From the mansion, the family tended to the Confucian sites in Qufu and also governed the largest private rural estate in China. The Kong family was in charge of conducting elaborate religious ceremonies on occasions such as plantings, harvests, honoring the dead, and birthdays.

Kong Family Mansion Fast Facts
• Chinese Name: Kong Fu 孔府
• Best Time to Visit: April to October
• Recommended Visiting Hours: About 1 to 2 hours
• Things to Do: Photography, Chinese Culture, Architecture
• Opening Hours: 08:00 - 17:00
• Entrance Fee: CNY 60; CNY 140 for combo ticket of the Temple, Confucius Family Mansion & Cemetery
• Address: Gulou West Street, Qufu, Jining, Shandong Province

What UNESCO says of Kong Family Mansion

The temple, cemetery and family mansion of Confucius, the great philosopher, politician and educator of the 6th–5th centuries B.C., are located at Qufu, in Shandong Province. Lying to the east of the Temple, the Kong Family Mansion developed from a small family house linked to the temple into an aristocratic mansion in which the male direct descendants of Confucius lived and worked. Following a fire and rebuilding of the temple with an enclosure wall on the model of an imperial palace in the 14th century, the mansion was rebuilt a short distance from the temple. Subsequently expanded, then destroyed again by fire and rebuilt in the late 19th century, it now covers 7 hectares with a total of some 170 buildings. Over 100,000 collections are kept in the Mansion; among them the ten ceremonial utensils of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, the portraits of Confucius made in different periods and clothes and caps dating to the Ming and Qing dynasties are the most famous. Furthermore, the more than 60,000 files and archives of the Ming and Qing dynasties collected in the Mansion not only provide a credible record of all kinds of activities in the Mansion for more than 400 years, but are highly valuable for studying the history of the Ming and Qing period.

The buildings were designed and built with meticulous care according to the ideas of Confucianism regarding the hierarchy of disposition of the various components. In the Ming period many outstanding artists and craftsmen applied their skills in the adornment of the temple, and in the Qing period imperial craftsmen were assigned to build the Dacheng Hall and Gate and the Qin Hall, considered to represent the pinnacle of Qing art and architecture.

Confucianism has exerted a profound influence not only in China but also on the feudal societies of Korea, Japan and Vietnam and had a positive influence on the Enlightenment of 18th century Europe. The Temple of Confucius, the Cemetery of Confucius, and the Kong Family Mansion are not only outstanding representatives of oriental architectural skills, but they also have a deep historical content and are an important part of the cultural heritage of mankind.

What to expect at Kong Family Mansion

The major structures along the central axis of the mansion (from south to north) are divided into two areas: Administrative Area and Residential Area.

Administrative Area

The central courtyard is flanked to the east and west by former administrative office buildings. The administration of the Kong family's official functions and businesses was structured into departments similar to the six ministries of the imperial government: Department of Rites (ancestor worship), Department of Seals (jurisdiction and edicts), Music, Letters, and Archives, Rent Collection and Sacrificial Fields. Located to the north of the Central Courtyard, the Gate of Double Glory was erected in 1503 and opened only for ceremonial purposes, visits by the emperor, or the arrival of imperial edicts. The Great Hall was the site of the duke's official business and the place for the proclamation of imperial edicts. When holding court, the duke was seated in the hall on a wooden chair that was covered by a tiger skin. The Second Hall was used for receiving high-ranking officials as well as for examinations in music and rites by the duke. It contains seven tablets inscribed by emperors, including one with the character "shou" (longevity) written by the Empress Dowager Cixi. The Third Hall, also known as the "Hall of Withdrawal", was used by the duke for drinking tea.

Residential Area

The gate to the Inner Apartments dates to the Ming Dynasty. During the residence of the Kong family, the gate was heavily guarded and restricted access to the residential portion of the mansion accessible only to the family and a small number of mostly female servants. Trespassing into the inner compound was punishable by death. Drinking water had to be delivered through a trough in the wall. On the internal ghost wall behind this entrance is a painting of a "tan", a mythical animal representing greed. Although the tan already has the Eight Treasures, it is still attempting to swallow the sun. The painting was placed at the exit from the inner apartments to the administrative portion to warn the members of the Kong family against greed in their business dealings outside.

The Front Reception Hall was used for receiving relatives, banquets, marriage and funeral ceremonies. Built during the Qing era reconstruction after the fire of 1886, the Front Main Building has two storeys and contained the private rooms of the wife and the concubines of the duke. The rear building was erected during the reign of the Qing dynasty's Jiaqing Emperor. It has a floor space of 3900 square meters and contained the private rooms of the duke. The last duke to inhabit the Rear Building was Kong Decheng. Originally a study for the duke, the rear five rooms become a quarter for the maids of the residence during the late Qing dynasty. The Back Garden also known as the Tieshan Garden was added during the Ming-era expansion of the mansion in 1503. The major building at the northern end of the garden is the Flower Hall.

How to get to Kong Family Mansion
• Kong Family Mansion can be reached by bus 2, 3 and 5.
• Rent a car/bus from GGC to enjoy a hassle free private transfer from hotels in Qufu to Kong Family Mansion.

Additional travel advice on Kong Family Mansion
• For the safety, it is not suggested to take a tricycle or other transportation without an operating license.
• Prepare mosquito repellent in summer and autumn.

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