Just down the hutong opposite the gates of the Lama temple is the former Confucius Temple and the Imperial College. The Confucius Temple is the largest in the land after the one at Qufu. The steles in the temple courtyard record the names of those successful in the civil service exams of the imperial court. To see his name engraved here was the ambition of every scholar, but it wasn't made easy. Candidates were locked in cubicles (about 8000 of them) measuring roughly 5 by 5 feet for a period of three days. Many died or went insane during their incarceration.

Confucius was a Chinese philosopher of the sixth century, whose teachings stress following traditional ways. His lessons are mostly known as a collections of short sayings.

©Erwin Bakx 1997