The Wen Miao Confucian Temple in Jilin City is the largest Confucian temple in Manchuria and one of the better-preserved such complexes in northeastern China. Built in the Qing dynasty, the complex follows the standard Confucian temple plan — a sequence of halls on a central axis, with the Hall of Great Achievement at the centre housing the tablets and portraits of Confucius and the canonical sages.
The Jilin temple is significantly quieter than equivalent temples further south, which makes it easier to appreciate the architecture and the atmosphere properly. The courtyard trees are old — several are centuries-old cypresses — and the setting has the genuine sense of antiquity that over-visited temples often lose. The temple is open to visitors and is a short walk or taxi ride from the central river embankment area.