Private Qufu Day Tour from Beijing by Bullet Train: Confucius Temple, Family Mansion and Cemetery

Your driver will pick you up from your Beijing city hotels lobby and take you to the Beijing South Railway Station. You will take the morning train to Qufu which takes about 2.5 hours. Upon arrival, meet your friendly local tour guide, you will be transferred to Temple of Confucius directly (approx. 20 minutes drive).

Your first stop is the Temple of Confucius which was first built in 478BC to commemorate Confucius. The temple has been reconstructed over the centuries. In total, it has undergone 15 major renovations, 31 large repairs, and numerous small building measures. More than 300 buildings erected through the Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. The temple was built according to the specification for imperial palaces with yellow roof-tiles and red-painted walls, they are surrounded by dark-green pine trees to create a color contrast with complementary colors.

Stroll around the halls and courtyards with your tour guide, learn about the symbolic significance of the architecture, admire the statue of Confucius, pay a visit to the stone tablets, steles and pavilions, discover Confucius' life experience, and many other historic and cultural items related to Confucius and Confucius culture.

Then, walk through the small market continue to explore the Kong Family Mansion.The descendants of Confucius live here and they were in charge of conducting elaborate religious ceremonies on occasions such as plantings, harvests, honoring the dead, and birthdays. The first mansion was built in 1038 and was originally connected directly to the temple. The family mansion was inhabited by descendants of Confucius until 1937.Today, the mansion comprises 152 buildings with 480 rooms.

Enjoy a lunch in the near by restaurant, then enjoy a short ride either by car or tuktuk to Confucius Cemetery.

Confucian Cemetery has served as the family graveyard of Confucius and his descendants for more than two thousand years. It is the largest, oldest, and best-preserved single-family cemetery in China. This final resting place of Confucius and his descendants is commonly known as the Forest of Confucius because of the large number of trees, over 20,000, planted with numerous tombstones, temples, pavilions and sculptures. There are about 3,600 tombstones dating from the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties still standing in the cemetery.

After the tour finished, your tour guide will take you to Qufu Railway Station for your train back to Beijing (approx. 2.5 hours). Once arrives, your driver will pick you up at Beijing South Railway Station and transfer you back to your hotel in Beijing City.

Note: You will take the train on your own, your local English speaking tour guide will meet you in Qufu.