Qufu Three Confucian Sites (曲阜三孔)

Qufu, in Jining prefecture of Shandong, is the birthplace of Confucius and lies about 150 km south of Jinan. Its three principal sites, known as San Kong, form a UNESCO World Heritage Site: the Temple of Confucius, the Kong Family Mansion and the Cemetery of Confucius (Kong Lin). The usual route from Jinan is a high-speed train from Jinan West to Qufu East, taking about 45-60 minutes and costing CNY 80-130. Qufu East station is about 10 km from the old town, and Bus 1 or a DiDi (about CNY 25-40) reaches the Confucius Temple in 20-30 minutes. Coaches take 2-2.5 hours, and a chartered car for the day costs about CNY 500-800. The Temple of Confucius, at 1 Dacheng Road, is the centrepiece, with Dacheng Hall, ancient cypresses and rows of stone tablets. The Kong Family Mansion beside it has around 460 rooms and shows the ritual and domestic life of the descendants of Confucius, who held hereditary titles through imperial China. The Kong Lin, a large wooded cemetery north of town, holds the tomb of Confucius and generations of his family, and is reached by battery cart or rickshaw. A one-day arc starts with arrival by about 9:00, the temple first while it is quiet, then the mansion, followed by lunch in the old town and an afternoon trip to the Kong Lin, returning to the station for a train around 17:30. A combined ticket for temple, mansion and forest costs about CNY 150. The best seasons are April to June and September to November; the Confucius birthday festival takes place in late September and brings ceremonies and crowds. Old-town restaurants serve Shandong and Kong family style dishes, and simple noodle and dumpling shops are plentiful near the gates. Visitors should watch for touts near the entrances who sell overpriced guide and incense packages, and should avoid public holidays and school-tour weeks.