Qufu - Hometown of Confucius

Qufu is a city in China's Shandong province. Birthplace of Confucius and his family, Qufu is a pilgrimage site for Chinese, Coreen and Japanese visitors. All those people come here to visit The Three Confucian Sites: the Temple of Confucius , the Cemetery of Confucius, and the Kong Family Mansion, all three Unesco World Heritage Sites.
The importance of Confucius in the Asian culture is overwhelming but even for those unfamiliar with his teachings can appreciate the architecture and the historical importance of this place.

The Confucius Temple had a humble begging but expanded considerably during time. Inside you will find cypress and juniper trees, some of them panted by Confucius himself, and more than one thousand stars, symbols of Confucianism. Near the pavilion where Confucius taught his students you can also buy small volumes with his teachings.

Confucius Temple in Qufu

Inside the temple in Qufu, China

The Kong Family Mansion is where the direct descendants of Confucius lived. They lived in absolute luxury, one time the family was in control of the largest private rural estate in China. Today, the mansion comprises 152 buildings with 480 rooms, which cover an area of 12,470 square meters, and throughout history it was rebuild many times.
The family mansion was inhabited by descendants of Confucius until 1937 when they fled to Taiwan where they still reside.

 The Kong Family Mansion 

In The Kong Family Mansion Complex 

The Cemetery of Confucius sometimes called the Confucius Forest lies to the north of the town of Qufu. This is the place where the tomb of Confucius and his descendants are located. Since some of Confucius' descendants had noble titles, many of the tombs in the cemetery show their status symbols. More than 10,000 mature trees give the cemetery a forest-like appearance.

Confucius Forest

Confucius Tomb in Qufu