Leiden University Student Repository

Berendsen, Romy (2019)

Qufu's Confucius Temple: A study on the visitor's experience

Master thesis | Asian Studies (120 EC) (MA)

Confucianism has a long history in China, and its reach continues to grow. Confucianism is the practice of following the ideology of Confucius (551 B.C. – 479 B.C.), who was a Chinese philosopher and teacher. In memory of him, the many Confucian temples in China not only display the importance of Confucius and his philosophy but also teach visitors about Confucius and Confucianism. These are temples where people can pay their respects to Confucius, honor him, and learn more about his life and thoughts. The Confucius Temple in Qufu was built a year after Confucius’ death, in 478 BC, at the location thought to have been his residence. The Temple is advertised in many tourist guides as the largest and most famous Confucian temple in China, and as one of the three greatest ancient building complexes in the country. This study tries to understand how the Temple contributes to the understanding that visitors gain from visiting the Temple, by conducting questionnaires and interviews.

Confucius Temple

Confucius

Philosophy

China

Religion

Questionnaires

Interviews

Author

Berendsen, Romy

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

China Studies

Supervisors

Els, Paul van

ECTS Credits

15

Language

en