Zoucheng

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    A Zoucheng landscape
    Inside the Mencius Family Mansion, tablet dedicated to the 7 chapters of the Book of Mencius (七篇贻矩匾).

    Zoucheng (Chinese: 邹城市; pinyin: Zōuchéng Shì) is a county-level city in the south of Shandong province in China. Historically, the name Zouxian, in a variety of transcriptions, was used for the city as well.[1]

    Zoucheng is located about 20km south of the city of Qufu, and like Qufu, is administratively under the prefecture-level city of Jining. Its population was 1,116,700 at the 2010 census even though its built-up (or metro) area is much smaller.

    History

    The philosopher Mencius was born in Zoucheng, and there are four famous sites in the city relating to Mencius, including the Mencius Temple (simplified Chinese: 孟庙; traditional Chinese: 孟廟; pinyin: Mèng Miào), the Mencius Family Mansion (Chinese: 孟府; pinyin: Mèng Fǔ), the Mencius Forest (Chinese: 孟林; pinyin: Mèng Lín, 35°28′42.27″N 117°2′56.11″E / 35.4784083°N 117.0489194°E / 35.4784083; 117.0489194), and Mencius' Mother's Forest (Chinese: 孟母林; pinyin: Mèng Mǔ Lín, 35°29′29.97″N 116°58′49.09″E / 35.4916583°N 116.9803028°E / 35.4916583; 116.9803028).

    The Mencius Temple, which covers an area of more than 4 hectares (9.9 acres) on the south side of town, has five courtyards and sixty-four halls and rooms. It was built in 1037.[2] The Mencius Mansion, where his descendants lived, is adjacent to the temple, and has 116 halls and rooms.[3]

    According to the management of the Mencius Temple, the temple grounds house over 270 stone steles and sculptures, some of which dating from as early as the Song Dynasty.[4] Among them are some Yuan Dynasty stelae with inscriptions in 'Phags-pa script.[5]

    Other historical sites

    Immediately to the north of Zoucheng lies the tomb of the Ming King of Lu (明鲁王墓). It is the tomb of Zhu Tan (1370-1389), the tenth child of the first Ming Emperor (Hongwu). There is also a royal tomb from the Han Dynasty (汉鲁王墓).

    Transportation

    • Train station on the Beijing-Shanghai Railway
    • Frequent bus service to the nearby Qufu and Yanzhou.

    References

    1. ↑ Legge, James (1867). Confucius and the Chinese classics. pp. 379–384.  - Rev. A. Williamson's account of his visit to Zoucheng (Tsou-hien, or Tsiu-hien, in his transcription) and the Temple of Mencius in 1865
    2. ↑ "Mengzi Temple". China Travel Tour Guide. Retrieved 31 July 2010. 
    3. ↑ "Mengzi Mansion". China Travel Tour Guide. Retrieved 31 July 2010. 
    4. ↑ Overview of steles at the Temple of Mencius, placard on site.
    5. ↑ 孟子故里文化典藏丛书之五《孟庙孟府孟林》
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    External links

    Coordinates: 35°24′N 116°58′E / 35.400°N 116.967°E / 35.400; 116.967

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