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Mencius Temple sits in the southern pass of Zou County in Shandong Province.

Mencius Temple, also known as the Under Sage Temple, was built to offer sacrifices to Mencius, a famous thinker of the Warring States period (476-221BC). Mencius (372-289BC) was a noble of the Lu State who developed Confucius’ Theory of Benevolence and put forward his proposal for the Policy of Benevolence. Mencius’ theory was grouped into the Si-Meng School and associated with Confucius by later generations. Therefore, Confucian theories regarding the management of state affairs are also referred to as the doctrine of Confucius and Mencius. Mencius was reputed as an Second Sage in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

An ancestral temple was built next to Mencius’ tomb during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) but was later moved to its present location, undergoing some extensions during the Ming Dynasty. Rectangular in shape, the temple is 317 meters long from south to north and 85 meters wide from east to west, covering an area of over 100 mu (1 mu = 1/15 of a hectare). It has five rows of constructions with 64 halls and two stele pavilions. There are 275 stone tablets and 101 stone figures from the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD) in the pavilions. Nearly all of the main constructions were built along the central axis of the temple, including Under Sage Hall, used to commemorate the couple of Mencius, and the sleeping hall. Rebuilt in 1672, Under Sage Hall is seven rooms wide and has 26 octagonal columns built on a drum-shaped base. Many old trees — cypresses dotted with gingko trees and Chinese wistaria – can be found at the Mencius Temple.

The Mencius Residence, also known as the Under Sage Residence, is located to the west of the Mencius Temple. It was the residence of Meng Hanbo, Mencius’ descendant who held the hereditary position of court academician in the Imperial Academy.

The year when Mencius’ Residence was initially constructed cannot be verified, but it is known that the building was moved to its present location in 1121 during the Song Dynasty. Most of the residence’s present constructions are relics of the Ming-Qing period. Sitting in the north and facing north, the residence is 226 meters long and 98 meters wide. It has four rows of buildings with 116 halls and side rooms. A government office was built in the front, and the east- and west-wing rooms of the first row were used for bailiffs serving in the feudal yamen. There are five central rooms in the second row that served as the court of law where hosts received imperial edicts, met officials and taught domestic discipline. The inner chambers, which were assigned to women, are located at the back; its main constructions include the Shi’en Hall and the Bestowed-Book Building. The latter edifice was used for storing emperors’ writings and documents of past dynasties.

(Source: chinaculture.org)