# Confucius Forest (孔林)

Qufu, Shandong Province · East China, China · Guidebook rating: 4/5
Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/places/confucius-forest
Language: en

## Key facts

- **Admission:** ¥10; ¥50; combined ticket for Shouqiu and Shaohao Mausoleum: ¥50
- **Opening hours:** 8：30—16：30
- **Time needed:** 1–2 hours
- **Address:** 1 km northeast of Qufu Shouqiu: Said to be the ancestral home of the Yellow Emperor. Its mausoleum looks remarkably like a pyramid and, of course, serves the same purpose.; East of Jiuxian Village, 4 km east of Qufu city centre Wanren Gongqiang (Wall of Ten Thousand Ren): Originally named Yangsheng Gate, it expresses people's praise and reverence for Confucius. When Emperor Qianlong visited the Temple of Confucius in Qufu to offer sacrifices, he replaced the original plaque with his own calligraphy, “Wanren Gongqiang”, to show his esteem for Confucius.; 50 m due south of 18 Gulou North Street, Qufu, Jining City Xianhe Flower Sea: “So close to the city, yet within nature.” Escape the bustle of urban life here and enjoy different pleasures of life. Experiencing waterside life, where the water's liveliness brings endless vitality, makes it a great place to take children.; North of Weizhuang Village, National Highway 104, Qufu, Jining City
- **Getting there:** From the Confucius Mansion it is a short walk to the Confucius Forest, or take a bus to Fengjia Village (bus stop). From the Confucius Mansion, walk north along Gulou Street, or take Bus No. 1 or a pedicab. Duke of Zhou Temple: The Duke of Zhou is practically a household name in China. This site, a place to contemplate the past in the present, sees few visitors and is very quiet.
- **Good for:** History & Culture, Hiking & Outdoors

## About Confucius Forest

The Confucius Forest is the private cemetery of Confucius and his family, and is said to be the longest-used and largest family cemetery in the world. Within the forest are more than 100,000 trees and several hundred plant species. Amid the dense foliage stand forests of stone steles and statues, including more than 3,600 steles from the Tang, Song, Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, making it a veritable forest of steles. In 1904, when surveyors were mapping the Tianjin–Pukou Railway, the original route was to pass through Qufu. Because it lay so close to the western wall of the Confucius Forest, there were fears it would “disturb the sacred tombs” and “damage the sacred lineage,” so the railway instead made a large detour through Qufu to the southwest. This is why visitors to Qufu must first alight at Yanzhou and then transfer to a bus.

## Tips from the guidebook

- At the Confucius Forest, Kong Mansion regular-script seal carving is sold. If you would like a stone seal as a souvenir, it can be collected in just 20 minutes.

### One-line recommendation

Yan Temple: A temple honouring Yan Hui, Confucius's favourite disciple, housing more than 60 steles. Confucius praised Yan Hui more than anyone else, calling him a diligent learner and a man of benevolence.

---
Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), p. 1362. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.
Site: China Trip (https://cnatrip.com) — independent China travel guide in 13 languages.