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SUMME
Page 4B/5B
Walking in Confucius’ footsteps
By BRANDON TAYLOR
Nov. 1, 2010
It was like many other temples
I’d visited in the last 16 months. Red
pillars held up a multi-tiered roof of
orange tiles. Incense burned in giant
vats in front of the main worship
hall, filling the air with that distinct
temple fragrance. A few worshippers
were dressed in traditional garb like
the monks I’d seen in Beijing. But this
place was special, a former teaching
ground for one of China’s most wellknown scholars and historic figures –
this was Confucius’ hometown, Qufu in
Shandong Province.
Born 2,500 years ago (551 B.C.),
Confucius (Kong Fu Zi in Chinese) was
a major contributor to Chinese philosophy and moral standards over the past
two millennia. His teachings, known
as Confucianism, emphasize social
responsibility, justice and education.
People in the West, without knowing the particulars of the philosopher’s
teachings, are probably more familiar with the almost-mocking phrase
“Confucius says…” followed by some
random quote about spirituality or
wisdom than any of his actual teachings. But what about, “Do not do to
others what you do not want done to
yourself.” Sound familiar? That’s right,
it’s the Golden Rule, one of the earliest
versions that would later be adapted
and changed over the centuries.
Or how about, “Everything has its
beauty but not everyone sees it.” Does
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”
ring any bells? These and many other
fortune cookie-written phrases are
corner stones of Chinese philosophies
that have even found their way into
nations in the West.
As widely known as Confucius and
his teachings are, Qufu is small and
quaint. Even with the enormous Confucius Temple (Kong Miao) and the
grandiose Confucius Family Mansion
and surrounding gardens, not to mention the large crowds of Chinese tourists, the town is quiet and remote, yet
chock full of history. The nearby Confucius forest, where the great Chinese
sage and his descendants are buried,
is solemn with trees standing side-byside the ancient burial mounds.
But with the exception of a few
smaller Chinese-style pavilions, Confucius never got to see any of it – the
temple, mansion and monuments were
all constructed after he died.
The temple grounds were built in
rings, like the rings of a tree, with each
ring contributed by a different Chinese
emperor. The inner most ring houses
a number of important monuments to
the philosopher: a pavilion where Confucius taught some of his students and
a tree planted by Confucius himself, so
said my guide. The tree leans against
one of the entrance gates to the temple
ground center, held up by a long steel
cable.
The Confucius family mansion is
somewhat simple, not at all like the
Forbidden City or other royal grounds
I’d seen in Beijing or Shanghai,
although Confucius’s descendants
were highly regarded and revered by
the emperor’s family. The mansion
property is large, yet largely empty
with only a few artifacts on display.
Most of the Kong family (Confucius’s family name) have since relocated to Taiwan, following the end of
the Chinese Civil War and defeat of
Chinese Nationalist forces in 1949, but
the lineage continues, now in its 83rd
generation.
The tombs of the great philosopher
and generations of the Kong family
are located in a forest near the city’s
limits. And much like his teachings, it
was simple, yet elegant. A large stele
displaying words of remembrance
stands proudly above his resting place;
a prayer mat in front for people to pay
their respects. Some of Confucius’ sons
are buried nearby.
Large stone statues watch over
the sacred grounds. Throughout the
wooded area are large mounds — the
burial sites of other Confucian descendants. The graves look like large turtle
shells, shaped somewhat like septic
mounds yet containing much more
valuable remains. The burial mounds
run off into the forest in all directions,
for miles and miles.
And the grounds were quiet, much
more so than they should have been
considering the flux of people who
were visiting. It was as if someone had
pressed the mute button. The only
sound was that of birds and blowing
branches as I walked on the paths
with burial mounds on either side.
Visiting Qufu helped put a face to a
name I’d only ever read about in history books. To walk where Confucius
walked and sit wher HH