Confucius (551BC-479BC) also called Kongzi or Kongfuzi in Chinese, was a great thinker, educator and the founder of Confucianism in the late Spring and Autumn Period (770BC- 476BC), which occupies a dominant position in Chinese culture. Kongzi was among the best recognized sages of that period. He devoted his whole life to education. He had some 3,000 disciples and many of them were knowledgeable and highly talented.

In order to commemorate this great sage, Chinese people built Confucian temples in honor of his great contribution to Chinese culture. Confucian temples are called Kong Miao in Chinese; they are famous for their large scale, rich cultural relic collection and their artistic value. Among these holy temples, the Confucian temple in Qufu in Shandong Province, which consists of Cemetery of Confucius (Kong Lin), Temple of Confucius (Kong Miao) and The Kong Family Mansion (Kong Fu), is regarded as one of the holy cities in the world. The Temples of Confucius in Beijing and the Confucian Temple (Fuzimiao) in Nanjing are also well worth visiting.