Panoramaof Confucian Temple (from Confucian Templesof the World, P88)

the Dacheng Hall(from Confucian Templesof the World, P215)

Interiorof the Dacheng Hall(from Confucian Templesof the World, P215)

The Confucian Temple,located on Confucian Temple Street outside the north of Zizhong City, Sichuan Province, remainsthe most perfectly preserved Confucian temple in theBashu Basin which winds for thousands of miles from Chengdu to Chongqing, and isamongthe firstnational key cultural relics protection units in Sichuan Province.

Among the four Confucian temples in Sichuan Province, Zizhong Confucian Temple boasts the longest history and the most exquisite construction, well-known for its compact structure, orderly layout, consummate accomplishment, notable features, complete preservation, remaining a famous tourist attraction in Bashu Basin.

All the structures of the Confucian temple are arranged in an orderly and rational way, with east-west symmetry, which is fully in line with the basic pattern of ancient Chinese architecture.

What distinguishes the Zizhong Confucian Temple from others is the Zhaobi design used to shield the entrance gate. At its centre are seven hollowed roundels with different patterns such as clouds, crabs, shrimps, fish, dragons, etc, telling the story of "a carp jumping over the dragon's gate", implying that only through constant effort can scholars achieve their ambitions and reach the pinnacle of their lives' glory. The Dacheng Hall also houses a 3-metre high tablet made in the ninth year of the reign of Jiajing in the Qing dynasty, with black inscriptions reading "Tablet of Confucius the Greatest Sage and Teacher" on a golden background, and carved with nine dragons and two phoenixes surrounding the top and sides. There are also tablets inscribed by the eightemperors of Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong, Jiajing, Daoguang, Xianfeng, Tongzhi and Guangxuduringthe Qingdynasty.