the Dacheng Gate(from Confucian Templesof the World, P128)

Stelesrecording the restoration of the ConfucianTemple in the first year of Xianfeng’s reign(from Confucian Templesof the World, P215)

the DachengHall(from Confucian Templesof the World, P130)

Stele inscriptionof “golden sound and jade vibration”(from Confucian Temple of the World, P130)

The existing Confucius Temple of Fuzhou was built from the first year of Xianfeng’s reign in the Qing dynasty to June of the fourth year(1851-1854), covering an area of 7,552 square meters, with a building area of 4,000 square meters.In September 1961, the Confucius Temple was announced as one of the first municipalcultural relic protection unitsby the People’s Committee of Fuzhou city, and on September 2, 1996, it was upgraded to aprovincial cultural relics protection unit by the People’s Government of Fujian Province.

A newly carved blue-stone effigy of seated Confucius was ensconced in the hall of the temple. On its front-left are effigies of Yanhui and Zisi, on its front-right are Zengzi and Mencius, and on the east, west and north sides, around the statue of Confucius, there are seventy-twolifelikeblue-stone effigies in different forms standing squarely.Observing the splendid blue-stone effigies of Confuciansin the temple, which are rather rare around the world, a technical attempt at the texture and proportion makes them a unity of form and spirit, elegant and simple, demonstrating a Confucian atmosphere of real life. In addition, inside the temple hangs six large duplicated plaques inscribed by five emperors from Kangxi on down, aswell as couplets written by Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Qianlong.