Zengzi Temple

Zeng Temple

synonym

Zengzi Temple generally refers to Zengzi temple

Zeng temple, Zongsheng temple, is a temple dedicated to Confucius' famous Gaozu Zengshen. Zeng temple was built in the 15th year of King Kao of Zhou Dynasty (426 BC), formerly known as "Zhongxiao Temple".

brief introduction

In Jiaxiang County, 23 kilometers south of the city, Zengzi's hometown, the beautiful southern foot of Nanwu mountain, there is a long history and magnificent ancient architecture group, zengmiao.

Zengmiao, also known as Zengzi temple and Zongsheng temple, is a special temple dedicated to offering sacrifices to Zengshen, the famous high foot of Confucius. Zeng temple was built in the 15th year of King Kao of Zhou Dynasty (426 BC), formerly known as "Zhongxiao Temple". In the ninth year of Zhengtong reign of the Ming Dynasty (1444 AD), it was rebuilt and renamed "Zongsheng Temple". After reconstruction, there were only three main halls, three bedroom exhibitions, three East and three West verandahs, and three halberd gates. The next year, three Laiwu Marquis temples were built on the right side of the temple. In the 18th year of Hongzhi in the Ming Dynasty (1505 AD), the temple system of Jinhong in Shandong Province was simple and crude, which was extended by the Qin Dynasty, and completed in the 9th year of Zhengde (1514 AD). During the reign of Jiajing and Longqing in Ming Dynasty, zengmiao was destroyed twice by war. In the seventh year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty (1579 AD), Dr. Sun Wujing, the sixty second generation of Zeng's son, had undertaken the Qin Dynasty's request for reconstruction. Construction started in September that year and was completed by the end of the year. The renovation laid the foundation for the layout and scale of Zengzi temple. During the reign of emperor Shunzhi, Emperor Kangxi, Emperor Qianlong and Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty, it was repaired many times.

Detailed introduction

Zengmiao is a representative group of ancient official buildings in China, which has retained the distinctive architectural style of Ming Dynasty. Zeng Temple faces south, surrounded by red walls. Its plane is rectangular, 230 meters long from north to South and 120 meters wide from east to west. It covers an area of 27600 square meters. The layout of the building is divided into three roads along the central axis, namely, the main road, the left road and the right road. There are more than 30 main buildings and more than 70 halls, verandas, pavilions and halls. There are many steles in the temple, and the ancient cypresses are towering.

Main buildings

There are three tall stone squares outside the gate of zengmiao, all of which are stone buildings with four pillars and three couplets. Zhongfang is a four column skyrocketing style, decorated with Chenglu vase and Chaotian roar, and engraved with "Zongsheng Temple"; Xifang is engraved with "yiguanxinzhuan", all of which are strong regular script characters. Outside Zhongfang is a magnificent screen wall.

Sanfang: located outside the gate of zengmiao, they are stone buildings with four pillars. Zhongfang is parallel to the first East-West wall, facing the gate of zengmiao. Three regular script characters of "zongshengmiao" are engraved on it. In front of the square is a large red painted wall, covered with grey tiles and decorated with a kiss beast. The other two squares are opposite from east to west. The East Square is parallel to the east wall, inscribed with "three provinces autonomy", the west square is parallel to the west wall, inscribed with "consistent heart", both of which are big regular script with strong writing.

Zongsheng gate: it is the South Gate of Zeng temple. It is a three room suspended mountain style building, 12.08 meters long, 8.06 meters wide, 7.5 meters high. It has six doors, six valves, green tiles on the top, decorated with kisses and running animals. Against the backdrop of Sanfang and Zhaobi, it is dignified and solemn.

Zongsheng gate is the first courtyard. On both sides of the courtyard, "Jingsheng gate" and "Yuying gate" are opposite from east to west. They are 9.5 meters long, 6 meters wide and 5 meters high. They are three Bay suspended mountain buildings.

Halberd gate: it is the second gate of Zeng temple, 11.8 meters long, 8 meters wide and 7 meters high. Its architectural form is the same as that of Zongsheng gate. In ancient times, the Zongsheng gate and the halberd gate were opened only when the important sacrificial activities were held to welcome the gods. The officials and people who usually went to Zeng temple to worship could only go in and out from Jingsheng gate, Yuying gate and the corner gate on both sides of the halberd gate.

Zongsheng temple is located in the back of the second courtyard of Middle Road, which is the main building of Zeng temple. The hall is seven rooms wide, 34 meters long, 18.85 meters deep, with double eaves and nine ridges, 15.35 meters high. Hall cornice pick angle, Diaolianghuadong, under the lemon three step arch, on the lemon five step arch, prosperous and magnificent. In the corridors around, there are 22 water grinding stone pillars, two cloud dragons in front of the door, and the rest lotus and peony. They are exquisite and novel. The front 20 doors and the back 4 doors and windows are carved into plum blossom brocade style, which is exquisite and beautiful. Green tiles on the top, winding dragon on the big ridge, various kinds of running animals, kisses, and fairies are lifelike. The Watchboard in the hall, painted Panlong, octagonal caisson, carved dragon with beads, its potential to soar, hanging on the door of the hall "daozhuanyiguan" giant plaque, strong regular script characters for the Qing Emperor Yongzheng Yubi. In the shrine with dragon and Phoenix carved in the middle of the main hall, there is a colorful statue of Zeng Zi, crowned with black clothes and holding GUI in both hands, which is unique in the style of a Confucian master. On both sides were his disciple Zisi and his second disciple mengke.

The platform in front of the hall is 1.5 meters high, 18 meters long from east to west and 13.8 meters wide from north to south. Surrounded by exquisite stone railings, it is the site for sacrificial activities. In ancient times, there were grand sacrificial activities held here every spring and autumn.

Dongxiwan: located in front of Zongsheng hall, in the East, there were wooden masters of Zengzi's disciples Yangfu, gongmingyi, gongminggao, gongmingxuan and Mengyi; in the west, there were wooden masters of lezhengzichun, Shen Youxing, solitary, gongmengzigao and Zixiang.

Bedchamber: located in the middle of the third courtyard behind the Zongsheng hall, it is a five ridge Xieshan style. It was originally dedicated to the statues of Zeng Zi and his wife Gongyang, which were unearthed in 1966. Sanshengtang is the building of zengmiao East Road, parallel to zongshengdianyuan. The south gate is called "Shendu gate", which alludes to Zengzi's saying that "so a gentleman must be Shendu". Sanshengtang was built to commemorate Zeng Zi's "my day and my body". There are sanshengtang, Zhai residence, shenpao and other buildings in the courtyard, which were built in the late Qing Dynasty.

Laiwu Marquis Temple: it is a building on zengmiao West Road, parallel to Zongsheng temple. It is the ancestral hall dedicated to Zeng Shen's father. The south gate is called "Yonggui gate", which alludes to the saying of "bathing in Yi, dancing in the wind, singing and returning". The main hall of Laiwu Marquis Temple "Laiwu Marquis hall" is a five intermittent mountain style building with three steps of shaking arch and green tiles on the top. It is 20 meters long from east to west, 10 meters wide from north to South and 8 meters high. There are some painted sculptures in the hall. There is a platform in front of the hall. In the back of the hall, there was once a sleeping hall, but in the early days, it was inverted. The Baogong temple in front of the hall is opposite to Chongde temple in East and West, both of which are three Bay hard mountain buildings. The Baogong Temple worships Zeng yuan, the eldest son of Zeng Zi, and his wife Gaoyang, while the Chongde Temple worships Zeng Shen, the second son of Zeng Zi, and his wife Yan.

Zhongxing Pavilion is located in the left front of Jimen. It is a liangmeng Xieshan style building. It was built by Zengye, the sixty second generation of Zengye, in the seventh year of Wanli (1579 A.D.) in the Ming Dynasty to protect the stele of Zhongsheng temple. The huge stele of "rebuilding Zongsheng Temple" describes in detail the process of expanding Zeng temple in the seventh year of Wanli period of Ming Dynasty and the revival of Hanbo. Zeng's descendants call this stele "Zhongxing stele" and the stele Pavilion "Zhongxing Pavilion". In 1966, the stele and pavilion were destroyed, and the stele was restored in 1985.

Qianlong imperial stele Pavilion: located in front of Zongsheng hall. In the 13th year of Qianlong reign, Emperor Gaozong of Qing Dynasty wrote the praise of "Zongsheng Zengzi" and sent officials to Zeng temple to worship Zeng Lishi. In 1784, Zeng Yuzun, a doctor of Five Classics from the Imperial Academy, moved to the front of Zongsheng hall and built a pavilion to protect it. The stele Pavilion, with double eaves and sharp edges, is covered with yellow tiles and seven steps on a bucket arch. It was destroyed in 1966. In 2003, Dr. Zeng Xianzi donated money for restoration.

Yongquan well was built in the 49th year of Qianlong by sun Zengyu of the 69th generation of Zengzi to commemorate Zengzi's filial piety and his father's death. There is a stone tablet beside the well with three regular script characters of "Yongquan well" engraved on it.

Cultural sites

Since the founding of new China, people's governments at all levels have attached great importance to the protection of zengmiao, established protection institutions and increased the number of caretakers. In 1956 and 1964, the provincial government twice allocated 150000 yuan for the maintenance of Zeng temple. In 1981, the provincial government allocated 120000 yuan to renovate the walls of zengmiao and the doors and windows of the existing buildings of zengmiao, and to repair the Shendu gate and Jingsheng gate. In 1985, the provincial government allocated 170000 yuan to repair the Zongsheng temple. In 1992, Shandong Provincial People's government announced that it was a key cultural relics protection unit at the provincial level. In 2006, it was listed as a national cultural relics protection unit. In 2002, the people's Government of Jiaxiang County built a special road to zengmiao and Zenglin.

In 2000, Mr. Zeng Xianzi inscribed a plaque for Zongsheng hall. The restored plaque is 1.5 meters high and 1 meter wide, with a relief dragon edge. The three regular script characters of "Zongsheng hall" inscribed by Mr. Zeng Xianzi are vigorous and gilded, which adds to the dignity of the hall.

Local folk custom

Confucius Cultural Festival September 26 - October 10

September 28 is the birthday of Confucius, a great thinker and educator. Since 1989, China Confucius International Cultural Festival has been held every year in Qufu, Confucius' hometown, to commemorate Confucius' outstanding contribution to human culture, carry forward oriental culture and promote economic development.

Various grand commemorative activities will be held during the cultural festival. In front of the Dacheng Hall of the Confucius Temple, there will be music and dance performances, academic seminars and reports on Confucius' thoughts, various cultural and art exhibitions, various tourism activities with unique characteristics, such as rites, music, shooting, imperial, calligraphy and mathematics, and various economic and trade activities, as well as trade negotiations and commodity exhibitions.

Food in zengmiao

Jining is one of the birthplaces of Shandong cuisine. There are many kinds of local snacks with distinctive characteristics. In particular, local dishes such as kongfu cuisine, kongfu pastry and Weishan Lake fish feast have a high reputation at home and abroad, and are indispensable delicacies.

Confucian cuisine

Confucian cuisine is a kind of government cuisine formed in the two thousand years of life of Confucius. Confucian cuisine has a wide range of materials and comprehensive cooking techniques. It emphasizes color, aroma, taste, shape and utensils. There are wedding banquet and birthday banquet

Chinese PinYin : Ceng Zi Miao