Mencius Temple, Zoucheng

The Temple and Mansion of Mencius in Zoucheng, about 30 kilometres south of Jining city, forms a smaller but structurally similar complex to the Three Kong Sites in Qufu. The temple has been rebuilt and expanded continuously since the Song Dynasty; the mansion is the former residence of the direct descendants of Mencius; and the cemetery (Menglin) north of the city is where generations of the Meng family are buried.

The complex is quiet — most visitors to this part of Shandong focus exclusively on Qufu — which makes it a better experience in some ways. The ceremony halls retain good examples of Ming and Qing architectural detail; the stele inscriptions in the temple courtyard are numerous and historically interesting. Zoucheng is reached from Jining by bus or taxi in about 45 minutes. Entry ¥60.

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Mencius (372–289 BCE) is known in Chinese as "the Second Sage," ranked directly behind Confucius in the Confucian tradition. He developed Confucian thought in important directions, arguing that human nature is fundamentally good and that rulers have an obligation to govern in the people's interests — ideas that have shaped Chinese political philosophy for two thousand years. The Temple of Mencius in his home city of Zoucheng is far less visited than Qufu's complex and correspondingly more atmospheric.

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