Confucius Temple & Xuyuan Garden

 Confucius Temple (Fuzimiao)

Originally built in 1034, Confucius Temple is a sacred shrine to Confucius, a famous thinker and educator in ancient China. The thoughts of Confucius are still highly appreciated by scholars. Actually the Confucius Temple is a group of old buildings with the Temple as the main construction. These structures have undergone countless changes, being destroyed and rebuilt time and again. Now the Confucius Temple is one of the most famous scenic spots in Nanjing.

There is a sculpture of Confucius in Dacheng Palace in this temple. The figure is about 6.5 meters high (about 21 feet) and about 3.15 meters wide (about 3 yards). It is said that, out of the many Confucius figures in China, this is the largest. On both the east and west sides of the temple there are markets, which form a distinctive architectural pattern.

Getting there:
You can take No.1, 4, 7, 30, 40, 49, 301, or 304 bus or special sight seeing bus No. 2 or 4 in Nanjing City to get to Confucius Temple.

Admission Fee :

CNY 15 (Dacheng Hall)

Nearby Attraction

Zhanyuan Garden

Zhanyuan Garden is in the south of Nanjing City. It is a well-preserved classical garden buildings of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) in Nanjing. Zhanyuan, together with Nanjing Yuyuan Garden, Wuxi Jichang Garden, Suzhou Humble Administrator's Garden and Lingering Garden, are the Five Famous Gardens of Jiangnan (south of lower reaches of the Yangtze River).

The repair work of Zhanyuan Garden began in 1958. The enlarged garden was the combination of both East Zhanyuan Garden and West Zhanyuan Garden. It kept the style of gardens of the Ming and the Qing (1644 - 1911) dynasties and at the same time it brought the essence of the art of modern garden building to it, forming a distinctive characteristic.

Jingmiao Hall is the main construction of Zhanyuan Garden. Half of the hall is built in the water, just like a waterside pavilion. The whole garden is divided into two parts by this hall. The south part is small and noisy while the north part is big and quiet. There are rockworks and ponds in both parts, a stream connects them. The whole thing is really spectacular.

Admission Fee:	CNY 40
Bus Route:	2, 4, 7, 14, 16, 23, 26, 33, 35, 37, 40, 43, 47, 49, 81, 301
Tourist Bus Route:	2, 4

 Xuyuan Garden

Also called West Garden, Xuyuan Garden is considered as the most Famous Garden in Jiangnan (south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River). It was built in the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). It is no exaggeration to say that Xuyuan Garden is the epitome of contemporary history in China due to its more than 600 years of changes. The total area of this garden is only 1.4 hectares (about 3 acres), but its design and constructions are exquisite enough to deserve a visit. Trees, flowers, pavilions, temples, rockworks, rare stones, clear water make it a typical and classical garden of Jiangnan.

Water is the soul of Xuyuan Garden. Flowing from north to the south, the water area is shaped like a long-necked vase. Boats and pavilions divide the pond into three parts which are seemingly independent but actually very much related to each other.

Getting there:
Visitors are suggested to take No.29, 44, 65 or 95 bus or No.1 or 2 special sight seeing bus to get to this garden.

Admission Fee : CNY 40