Xiangtan Confucious' Temple

Xiangtan Confucian Temple is located on Chengzheng Street, Xiangtan City. It was built in the early years of Shaoxing in the Southern Song Dynasty, on the side of Xiaodongmen. In the 14th year of Yuan Zhizheng (1354), it was destroyed by Binghuo. In the second year of Hongwu in Ming Dynasty (1369), it was rebuilt at the present site as a special place for worshipping Confucius. The Confucian Temple is now the southern campus of Hunan University of Science and Technology (Xiangtan Teachers College). The temple is a closed courtyard building, consisting of Lingxingmen, Panchi, archway, Dachengmen, Dacheng Hall, Si Xian Temple, Chongsheng Hall, Bell and Drum Pavilion, etc. Dacheng Hall is the main hall. It is for the top of the mountain with double eaves, nine ridges, and owl kisses. The surrounding corridors are supported by 16 round ancient columns, with yellow glazed tiles. In the sixteenth year of Ming Hongwu (1383) and the eleventh year of Zhengde (1516), the college was repaired or expanded. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, it was once again destroyed by war. It was rebuilt in the ninth year of Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty (1652). Jiaqing, Daoguang, Xianfeng, Guangxu, Xuantong, and in 1914, 1947 and 1983, were repaired many times, and have been demolished from Lingxingmen to the gate. In front of the temple is Xue Gongping, also known as Xueping, and at the south end of the Ping is Daming Wall. The red walls and yellow tiles of the temple are magnificent. The main entrance is called Kuixingmen, and the front yard is planted with cypress trees on the left and right sides, which are green and fragrant all year round. There is a moon-shaped pan pool in Kuixingmen, surrounded by a stone fence. There are three stone squares near Panchi. The stone square in the south is engraved with the words "Sven is here", and the east and west squares run through the street. Passing through Shifang is Dachengmen. To the left and right of the entrance is the Bell and Drum Pavilion with green eaves and green tiles. The Dacheng Gate leads to the Dacheng Hall, and there are stone paved corridors that reach the base of the hall. The platform is one meter high and is made of stacked stones. The steps are divided into left and right, and there are stone carvings of dragons, decorated with waves of the sea of clouds, which are lifelike and leap on the stone. The Dacheng Hall is a Xieshan-style double-eave structure, surrounded by 16 round stone pillars. The inner and outer fangs, purlins, caissons, bucket arches, and fans are painted in colorful colors, and the yellow tile and flying eaves are spectacular. There is a sub-sanctuary at the back of the hall, which is in line with the front and back of Dachengmen and Kuixingmen, which shows the majesty of the main body of Dacheng Hall.