Discovering Confucius’ Legacy Through Travel游览中华大地，领略儒家文化

At Tianjin’s Shangri-La Hotel， I watched with fascination a historic daily pageant performed in its expansive lobby. Artists dressed in elegant costumes went through classical rituals. The troupe was brought north by the tourism bureau of Shandong province’s Qufu， hometown of renowned philosopher Confucius. I was fixated as they moved gracefully against backdrops displaying insights into that great sage’s longstanding legacy.

It also provided a chance to reflect on my earlier days of China travel. Those journeys across this vast land were always a learning experience. At school level back in my native Scotland， very little was understood of Confucius or his influence on Chinese thought and culture. But I would at times hear things like， “As Confucius said， ‘Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you.’” As a geographer， I also became fascinated with the Chinese relationship with land and water， and how this influenced building design and construction. Confucius wrote， “The wise delight in water， the virtuous delight in mountains. The wise are active， the virtuous are tranquil. The wise are happy， the virtuous are long-lived.”

Confucius （551-479 BC） was a teacher and philosopher from China’s Spring and Autumn Period （770-476 BC） who has had a lasting impact on Chinese culture. Today he is recognized internationally for his writings and sayings. His philosophy emphasized morality， correct social relationships， justice and sincerity. He championed family loyalty， respect for ancestors and elders by their children. Confucian thought has been influential through much of China’s long history and continues to be held in high esteem.

Qufu is a relatively small city I first came upon in 1996. Then， it was an intermediary stop on the railway between Beijing and Shanghai. In my early days of travel before today’s high-speed services， rail travel was much slower. But an on-board service， now gone， were announcements about each station stop. In Chinese and in English they would tell of the geography， history and distinguished persons associated with each town. At Qufu they spoke of Confucius and his legacy. As I mentioned， I was not so familiar with him except his name and some well-recited phrases. It was fortuitous to listen and appreciate my proximity to his birthplace. I never disembarked at Qufu， as my time was limited.

I was fortunate enough to meet Mr. Kong， chairman of the Qufu Tourism Bureau and Peter Qu， general manager of the Qufu Shangri-La Hotel. We talked extensively about the role of Confucian tourism in and around Qufu， and how the city’s contemporary prosperity has in part been driven by its history. The Qufu Shangri-La brought two of their head chefs to Tianjin who were veterans on Confucian cuisine， and they helped prepare a range of dishes to recreate the Qufu culinary experience. That area is renowned for Kong Family Cuisine， based on the Shandong cooking style with added imperial influence and a touch of Huaiyang flavor from South China.

To understand some of China’s history， it is useful to appreciate Confucius. So where better to start than some of the temples and schools dedicated to him nationwide？ In the mid-1990s I lived along a traditional Beijing hutong， a short walk from Lama Temple or Yonghegong. Nearby sat Beijing’s Confucian Temple or Kong Miao， and the adjacent former Imperial College. Throughout several dynasties that school was the national center of administration for learning in a very traditional educational system. It included the teachings of Confucius and a very strict examination requiring intensive personal study.

During my early years exploring the area， the temple was often quiet. I found it excellent for relaxation and reflection. Its crimson-colored buildings represented a grand Ming Dynasty architectural style although construction initially dated from 1302 during the Yuan period. After Qufu， it is China’s second-largest Confucian temple. Today classes on early Chinese culture including Confucian philosophy， calligraphy， music and more are held within some of its smaller halls.

I would go on to discover more of the Confucian influence. In 2017， I visited Pingyao in Shanxi province. From the walls still enclosing the Old Town I looked across to the sloping roof of its Confucian temple， known as “Wenmiao”. Founded as early as the Tang Dynasty （618-907 AD）， it is one of the oldest and best preserved structures of its kind in China. It was a personal joy to stay in a hotel built in the historic Chinese style and literally adjoining the temple.

Nanjing was another city where I experienced elements of Confucian heritage. Nanjing， whose name literally means “Southern Capital”， had an active temple in what is today the Fuzimiao tourist district on the north bank of the Qinhuai River. That temple dates from 1034， though the current structure was built in the 19th century. When I first visited in 1996， it was a quiet area， but what I wanted to see were the exam booths. Stories abound of students confined into cramped spaces， spending considerable time trying to achieve the highest possible grade. That was many years ago， but when I came to China in 1992 to work within the higher education sector of Guangdong， I personally witnessed students studying for many hours. I still see elements of this in the modern bookstores opening across China.

I have always felt that it is the people who make a city， something I certainly feel about Tianjin. I recently delighted in exploring its Confucian Temple. One of the oldest buildings in Tianjin， it is also the largest traditional architectural structure in the city. It has survived since the Ming Dynasty （1368-1644） largely intact. Almost palace-like in design， it features decorative archways， goldfish ponds and ancestral halls where students would pray for success in their academic studies.