Confucius was born in Qufu and also spent many years here in the company of his pupils and followers giving lectures on his ideology. Confucianism did not have a large following until after the death of Confucius, when many believers flocked to Qufu to listen to Confucius’ disciples explain the doctrine. The number of believers swelled and a year after Confucius’ death, the Duke Ai of Lu ordered the philosopher’s home to be turned into a temple.

Today, the Confucius Temple is a grand complex that covers an area of 22 hectares. On the orders of the imperial court, magnificent mansions, almost as fine as those in Beijing, were built to house Confucius’ descendents. Much of the architecture in town is testament to the high esteem in which successive dynasties and generations have regarded Confucius.

Qufu is a quiet rural town with little traffic and unpolluted streets. However, it does come alive in September each year when the town hosts a festival to celebrate Confucius’ birthday, complete with reconstructions of the original rituals at the Confucius Temple.