The Cemetery of Confucius (Kong Lin called in Chinese) is located at the north gate of Qufu (about 1 km north of Qufu). It is the largest family cemetery in the world, and has the longest history.
Confucius died in April 479 BC and was buried in the northern part of Lu City (now called Qufu), where his descendants were also buried after their deaths. More than 1,000 trees were planted since Zigong, one of Confucius' favorite pupils, planted the first tree.
The Cemetery of Confucius was repaired and rebuilt 13 times by the emperors of many Chinese dynasties since the Han Dynasty (202 BC–220 AD). Its final area is two square kilometers, and it has a protection wall that is 5.6 kilometers in length, more than three meters in height and one meter thick.
Guomoruo (1892-1978), one of the most famous Chinese modern writers, praised the cemetery: "The Cemetery of Confucius is one of the best nature museums and preserves the annals of Confucius' family".
Nowadays, the Cemetery of Confucius plays an important role in the analysis of the development of ancient Chinese politics, the economy and culture, as well as changes in Chinese funeral customs.
A visit to the hometown of Confucius Qufu is included in almost all featured tour packages to Shandong Province. Contact us for our tours to Qufu.
