Yan Temple, A Sanctuary of Simplicity and Virtue

North end of Louxiang Street, Qufu City, Jining, Shandong Province

Located near the Confucius Temple

4.9

Introduction

The Temple of Yan is located inside the north gate of Qufu in Shandong Province, facing the back garden of the Confucius Mansion, and is a temple dedicated to Yan Hui, the eldest disciple of Confucius. Confucius praised Yan Hui's simple and frugal character, who "lives in a shabby alley with just a basket of food and a ladle of water," which is the true meaning of "shabbiness." Visiting the Temple of Yan, one can profoundly understand the connotation of shabbiness and frugality, such as the shabby alleys where the temple is located, the shabby wells and pavilions inside the temple. The gate of the main hall is marked by a shabby well, and there is an octagonal open-air pavilion around it. To the north of the well stands a stone tablet from the Ming Dynasty, inscribed with the words "Shabby Alley Well," commemorating Yan Hui's loyal character. The main hall is the most important building of the temple, consisting of the Confucius Shrine and two wing buildings, which inscribe the achievements of Yan's descendants, such as Yan Zitui, Yan Zhenqing, and Yan Shigu. The Temple of Yan has over 60 stone tablets, including two from the Yuan Dynasty, "The Monument of the Great Yuan Dynasty's Royal Decree to Renovate the Guo Fu Sheng Gong New Shrine" yand "The Monument of the Great Yuan Dynasty's Enfeoffment of Yan's Parents." They are engraved in ancient Mongolian and Chinese, respectively, and are of value to the study of ancient characters. On June 25, 2001, the Temple of Yan was listed as one of China's fifth batch of key cultural relics protection units, as one of the representatives of ancient buildings from the Yuan to the Qing Dynasty, it has received widespread attention and protection.

Address

North end of Louxiang Street, Qufu City, Jining, Shandong Province

Transportation

Go north along Gulou Dajie from the Confucius Temple, or take bus route 1 or a tricycle to get there.

Phone 0537-4712261