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UNESCO World Heritage

UNESCO World Heritage

Introducing UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Qufu
Qufu & its surrounding areas have three cultural and natural places inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as of 2020. Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu (Temple of Confucius, Cemetery of Confucius and Kong Family Mansion) were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994. If you happen to be in Qufu or anywhere else in Shandong Province, be sure to drop by these amazing UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Qufu. Each of Qufu's UNESCO World Heritage Site has a tale to tell. Book GoGrandChina tour packages to learn the tales of Qufu's UNESCO World Heritage Sites at the most affordable prices.

Temple of Confucius
The Qufu Temple of Confucius is the largest and most renowned temple of Confucius in China. Within two years after the death of Confucius, his former house in Qufu was consecrated as a temple. Chinese emperors would visit Qufu after their enthronement or on important occasions such as a successful war. In total, 12 different emperors paid 20 personal visits to Qufu to worship Confucius. About 100 others sent their deputies for 196 official visits. The temple complex is among the largest in China, it covers an area of 16,000 square metres and has a total of 460 rooms. Because the last major redesign following the fire in 1499 took place shortly after the building of the Forbidden City in the Ming Dynasty, the architecture of the Temple of Confucius resembles that of the Forbidden City in many ways. Get more about Temple of Confucius.

Confucius Family Mansion
The Confucius Family Mansion was the historical residence of the direct descendants of Confucius in the City of Qufu, the hometown of Confucius. 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 Confucius family was in charge of conducting elaborate religious ceremonies on occasions such as plantings, harvests, honoring the dead, and birthdays. Today, the mansion is a museum and part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu". Get more about Confucius Family Mansion.

Cemetery of Confucius
The Cemetery of Confucius is a cemetery of the Kong clan (the descendants of Confucius) in Confucius' hometown Qufu. Confucius himself and some of his disciples are buried there, as well as many thousands of his descendants. In 1331 construction work began on the wall and gate of the cemetery. In total, the cemetery has undergone 13 renovations and extensions. Eventually, by the late 18th century, the perimeter wall reached a length of 7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi), enclosing an area of 3.6 square kilometres (1.4 sq mi). In this space, the tombs of more than 100,000 descendants of Confucius, who have been buried there over a period of about 2,000 years, can be found. The oldest graves date back to the Zhou Dynasty, the most recent of which belong to descendants in the 76th and 78th generation. Get more about the Cemetery of Confucius.