Located in Qufu, a county-level city in Jining, Shandong province, the Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion were built in 478 BC to commemorate Confucius, a great philosopher, politician and educator of China. 

The three Confucius sites in Qufu have maintained their artistic and historic character. It was added to UNESCO's World Natural Heritage list in December, 1994.

A photo taken on Aug 27 shows the magnificent and beautiful panorama of the Confucius Temple in Qufu, a county-level city of Jining, Shandong province. Along with the Forbidden City in Beijing and the Chengde Summer Resort in Hebei province, the temple is one of the top three largest historical building complexes in China. [Photo by VCG] 

The tranquil night view of the ancient wall in the Confucius sites in Qufu, a county-level city of Jining, Shandong province. [Photo by VCG] 

The Confucius Cultural Park looks more striking against the azure sky in Qufu, a county-level city of Jining, Shandong province. [Photo by VCG]