Culture
Anshun Confucian Temple
by Live in Guizhou
Image Source: Sohu News
Anshun Confucian Temple is the earliest and largest open Confucian temple site in Guizhou Province in southwestern China. A temple there was originally built in 1368, and it has features similar to the Forbidden City that was built about the same time by the Ming Dynasty. There is an area of about 8,000 square meters. It is also called Fuxue Palace. It is located to the northeast of Anshun City. Among the features, there is a screen wall and festooned gates, four courtyards, four entrances, decorated and carved antique-style stone bridges, and several buildings including the Dacheng Hall and the Guixiang Pavilion.
This architectural complex rests upon a sloping field and as such, the buildings appear to rise as you go up the slope. Stone stairs lead you to the front of the architectural complex. Artistically, the Confucian Temple is a masterpiece in the field of stone-carving due to the exquisite craftsmanship that was put into its creation.
To decorate the front of the temple, there is a screen wall facing the gate. There are also two festooned gates called Li Gate and Yilu Gate. There is also a stone tablet saying that “civil and military officials should get down from their sedan or horse”. It is called the Dismount Stele.
