The Mansion of Confucius was home to Confucius' descendents from the Song Dynasty (960-1279). It was originally named Yanshenggong Mansion, after a title given to Kong Zongyuan (Confucius' 46^th generation) by Ren Emperor in the Song Dynasty. The title was then carried on by another 42 descendents. The mansion is a combination of both court and home, demonstrating traditional Chinese culture through its accommodating style. The current mansion was built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and has three main sections. The eastern part is used for ancestral worship, and the western part for study and for guests. The middle part is the primary one, with court, living area and back garden aligned from south to north. The mansion is the archetype of feudal aristocratic living.

 

A lion guards the mansion gate.

A part of the gate; the characters on the tablet mean "Holy mansion".

 

Hanging woodblock prints, watched by local media.

A gate in the first yard prepared specially for emperors.

An old sundial.

A royal inscription from the Qing Dynasty.

The main hall in the first yard used for the court.

A bench behind the court.

A rest room for officials, behind the court.

Writings from Kangxi and Qianlong emperors in the Qing Dynasty.

Russian visitors with a lantern hung for the Spring Festival.

A tourism bureau official affixes new year wishes with the help of a Russian visitor.

A stone in the middle yard imported from the south.

Feudal sedan chairs.

A guard tower presides over the mansion.

A water trough. There were separate troughs for male and female servants.

A sitting room.

A narrow path for servants.

A rest room for the master.

The master’s bedroom.

 

A corner of the back garden.