A tour of Confucian Temples in Yunnan： Jianshui Confucian Temple

Have you ever visited Confucian temples in China? In ancient times, after passing the imperial examinations, the successful students would undertake pilgrimages to Confucian temples, climbing to nearby pavilions before circumambulating the pools in front of temples—all these acts steeped in ritual significance. The whole process was the highest honor for those students.  

When the Confucian temples were first set up in Yunnan remains unsettled. Whatever the true answer, Yunnan’s temples undeniably date back around 1,000 years.

In Jianshui, a county in southeast Yunnan’s Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, the local people have kept a tradition—especially those parents with children—visiting the Confucian Temple on the first day of a new year. It is thought the Confucian wisdom will ‘rub off' on the visiting children, making them cleverer.

This tradition of visiting Confucian temples is not exclusive to Jianshui. Each year, before the annual national university entrance examination, the Confucian temple in southwest Yunnan’s Fengqing County, sees the largest volume of visitors. Local custom still demands Confucius-worship whenever exams loom near.
 
Yunnan’s Confucian temples—each unique—reflect the region’s traditional culture and show the characteristics of its ethnic architecture. Whichever temple you choose to visit, you will find the trip worthwhile and rewarding.

Source： Daguan Weekly 

Editor: John Li