The Road to the Confucian Temple

Neon lights give a new meaning to classic Chinese architecture at the entrance to Fuzi Miao. Today, the Confucian Temple in Nanjing sits in the middle of a commercial district that attracts local and foreign tourists alike, not only for its historical significance but also for the wide variety of shops that stretches out into the whole length of the pedestrian street. Those who are up for souvenir items or branded garments, watches, shoes and leather goods may be able to hunt for a bargain here, and those who're up for gastronomic adventure, Fuzi Miao can surely offer a lot of choices. However, one should not forget that this place was first and foremost a center for Confucian study for 1500 years during the Qing dynasty. The buildings therefore, which have been damaged and restored over time - were reconstructed to represent the ancient style. Also at Fuzi Miao is the Imperial Examination History Museum. Scholars once spent months and years in tiny cells in this reconstructed ancient structure studying Confucian classics in preparation for the civil sevice examinations.