The birthplace of Confucius, the founder of the Confucian school in China - the Holy Land of Nishan

Nishan Holy Land is located within the Nishan Provincial Cultural Tourism Resort, 25 kilometers southeast of Qufu City, Shandong Province, China. Nishan Shengjing is a tourist destination full of Confucian cultural atmosphere, integrating natural and cultural landscapes. It is of great significance for understanding traditional Chinese culture and experiencing the charm of Confucianism.

Historical and cultural background:

Nishan is the birthplace of Confucius, the founder of the Confucian school in China. According to the Records of the Grand Historian, Confucius' parents "prayed to Mount Ni to obtain Confucius," so Mount Ni has become a sacred place for Confucian guests to worship throughout history, with a profound Confucian cultural heritage. From the Han Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, various dynasties regarded Confucianism as their guiding ideology, and the position of Nishan became increasingly important. In the Song Dynasty, Nishan was conferred the title of Yusheng Marquis and a temple was built to worship him, with a standard equivalent to the Four Dukes. The Nishan Confucian Temple and Academy are products of the feudal society's reverence for Confucius, the study of the classics, and the pursuit of virtue and merit. They are also relics and carriers of cultural origins for the long historical period of the Chinese nation's ideology and culture.

Scenic Area Layout: The total area of the scenic area is 35.76 square kilometers, with a planned core area of 8 square kilometers. It is mainly divided into four cultural and educational functional areas: the statue viewing area (palace image area), Fuzi Cave, Luyuan Village, and Gengshu Academy.

Holy Image Worship Area: Located in the northern part of the Holy Land of Nishan, it is the core of the entire Holy Land of Nishan and has a north-south main axis. By passing through the "Er Li Men" to Jinsheng Yuzhen Square and climbing up the stairs, you will reach Tianming Avenue. Tianming Avenue consists of nine sets of steps with a total of 260 steps. After walking Tianming Avenue, you can reach Ershun Square.

Fuzi Cave: located 12 kilometers northeast of Nishan Town, at the foot of Wulao Peak in Nishan, northeast of the Holy Statue Viewing Area, and adjacent to the Nishan Confucian Temple and Academy Scenic Area to the south. This is the legendary place where Confucius was born.

Luyuan Village: located on the banks of the Yi River north of Changping Mountain, northwest of the Holy Statue Viewing Area.

Gengdu Academy: located on the north slope of Mount Ni, north of the Holy Statue Worship Area.

Important attractions:

Confucius Statue: Located on the northernmost highland of the main axis of the palace statue area, it is the largest and tallest bronze statue of Confucius in the world. Its image is tall and solemn, located at a high point in the sacred space of Mount Ni, and is one of the iconic landscapes of the scenic area, attracting many tourists to come and pay their respects.

Confucius University: Built along the mountain, with a total of nine floors above and below, it has a stepped design with a total height of 65 meters. The university extensively employs architectural techniques such as columns and domes, combining traditional Chinese architectural forms such as halls, halls, and halls with modern architectural art, exhibiting a New Oriental classical style. The interior includes cultural spaces such as the welcome hall, staircase hall, 72 virtuous corridors, ritual hall, righteousness hall, benevolence hall, intelligence hall, information hall, and ritual music hall. This place gathers classic works of traditional Chinese art such as Dongyang wood carving, Shanxi clay sculpture, Suzhou embroidery, Fuzhou lacquer painting, Jingdezhen ceramic painting, etc. It is a comprehensive cultural tourism building that integrates museums, ceremonies, lecture halls, conferences, performances, and other supporting functions. In 2019, it won the highest quality award for construction projects in China, the "Luban Award".

Seventy two Sages Corridor: Located within the university, it is 105 meters long from east to west, 17.5 meters wide from north to south, and 16 meters high. There are a total of 30 shrines and statues of 72 sages, with landscape paintings as the background. Here, 30 sets of small stories related to 72 sages are displayed in clay sculptures, allowing visitors to appreciate the wisdom of Confucius and his disciples. At one end of the Xian Corridor, there is a tall oil painting called "Lecture at Apricot Altar", which has a unique cultural charm.

Liye Hall: It is a large venue for ritual and music performances, capable of accommodating 600 people to enjoy the performances. The large-scale ritual and music performance of 'Golden Sound and Jade Vibration' is performed here, created by Sha Xiaolan, the chief producer of the 2016 G20 Hangzhou Summit cultural performance 'Most Memorable is Hangzhou', and the creative team. The entire play consists of three parts and nine chapters, with "Confucius of the World" and "Confucius' World" as the main themes. It combines classical Chinese art forms such as poetry, music, and dance with the most advanced contemporary technology such as stage installations, large-scale machinery, holographic imaging, sound, and optoelectronics. It is perfectly presented by 110 professional actors and is a literary masterpiece that promotes the Ming Li lifestyle and promotes traditional Chinese culture.

Functional positioning and activities:

The functional positioning is as a "cultural cultivation resort" and a "world-class cultural tourism destination", with the core cultural theme of "Ming Li lifestyle". It is a comprehensive cultural carrier that integrates cultural experience, learning and enlightenment, ecological tourism, leisure vacation, and education and training.

The scenic area will hold various cultural activities, such as traditional ceremonies such as the Confucius Festival, as well as lectures and seminars related to Confucian culture. It will also hold special events on specific festivals, such as the Mid Autumn Festival Gala and the National Day Carnival, to enrich the experience of tourists.