Confucian Temple and Guozijian Museum

Chinese name: 孔庙和国子监博物馆
Chinese name: Kongmiao and Guozijian Museum
Foreign name: Kongmiao Confucian Temple and Imperial College museum
Area: over 49,000 square meters
Category: History Museum
Opening hours: May-October: 08:30-18:00; November-April: 08:30-17:00
Location: No. 15 Guozijian Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing
Add：北京市东城区国子监街15号
Collection of fine works: carved stone of the thirteen classics, Qianlong stone drum, jade, bronze, etc.
Museum level: China’s national second-level museum
Scenic level: China’s national AAAA-level tourist attractions
Virtual Tour: https://v.visitbeijing.com.cn/pano/A040/index.html

BeiJing Confucian Temple and Imperial College museum

Confucian Temple and Guozijian Museum

The Confucian Temple and the Guozijian Museum are composed of the ancient buildings of the Confucius Temple and the Guozijian in Beijing. The two are closely adjacent to each other and have similar themes. Now they are open to the public as the same scenic spot. The ticket office is next to the gate of the Confucian Temple. After purchasing the ticket, enter the Confucian Temple, and enter the Guozijian at the “Chijing Gate” next to the stele pavilion.

The Confucian Temple was first built in the Yuan Dynasty, and it was the place where Confucius was worshiped in the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. The scale of the building is very large, and it takes about 1-2 hours to visit the Confucian Temple.

There are three main points of concern when visiting the Confucian Temple, and you must pay attention to it when you visit. The first is that there are ancient Yuan Dynasty-style buildings in the temple, which are rare in Beijing, which is very unique. The second is the many steles in the courtyard, including the inscriptions of Yuan Chonghuan, Lin Zexu, Li Hongzhang, etc., the inscription steles of the roster of more than 50,000 Jinshi from the Yuan Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty, and the forest of steles engraved with the Thirteen Confucian Classics. They are rich in content and very precious. . The third is the performance of the traditional rite and music dance “Dacheng rite and music” performed several times a day in the Chongsheng Temple, which shows the ancient traditional culture and art, which is very exciting.

In addition, the courtyard is quaint, with many towering ancient trees, as well as memorial tablets and cultural relics exhibitions about Confucius, all of which can be visited one by one.

Guozijian was a national institution of learning during the Ming and Qing dynasties, and it was also the place where the emperor gave lectures in person in the past. Like the Confucian Temple, the buildings here are also antique. The ancient trees in the courtyard are towering, which looks simple and beautiful. It is suitable for visiting and taking pictures. Generally, it takes about 1 hour to visit.

When visiting Guozijian, you can pay attention to the buildings in the courtyard. Jixian Gate, Taixue Gate, Liuli Archway and other buildings are very distinctive, especially the colorful Liuli Archway, which is the iconic scenery of Guozijian. The Piyong Hall is the main body of the Guozijian. The outside of this building is surrounded by a circular pool, and the middle hall is square, which is very special. The Yilun Hall next to it is the place where the ancient emperor gave lectures, and you can also take a good look at it.

In Guozijian, there are also perennial exhibitions such as “Exhibition of Ancient Chinese Imperial Examinations” and “Exhibition of the Original State of Guozijian”. Tourists who are interested in the imperial examination system can visit them.