CH'U-FU

also spelled Ch-fou, or Kufow, Pinyin Qufu town, Shantung sheng (province), eastern China. It lies 70 miles (110 km) south of Chi-nan. In ancient times Ch'-fu was the capital of the small independent state of Lu, which flourished from the 6th to the 4th century BC. The town of Ch'-fu is notable as the birthplace and place of residence of Confucius, the ancient sage who founded Confucianism. Confucius was born in Ch'-fu in 551 BC, and in the later part of his life he forsook his previous wanderings and returned to live at his birthplace, writing, editing, and teaching numerous disciples there until his death in 479 BC. The Great Temple of Confucius in the town was built in 1724. Inside the great ceremonial hall of the temple is a large statue of Confucius surrounded by statues of his disciples. The temple itself stands within a larger, oblong, walled enclosure that covers about 49 acres (20 hectares) and around which the town of Ch'-fu was built. Inside the enclosure is an extensive complex of Confucian temples, shrines, monuments, and pavilions. The enclosure contains a house that stands on the site of the one Confucius lived in, an ancient tree said to have been planted by the sage, and a well from which he drank. Inside the town of Ch'-fu but lying outside of the temple enclosure is an elaborate complex of buildings that was the residence of Confucius' descendants, the K'ung family. Through the centuries the K'ungs were the guardians of the temple complex and the administrators of the town of Ch'-fu; the 76th lineal descendant of Confucius lived in the town before World War II. Lying outside the north gate of the temple enclosure is the family cemetery of the K'ungs, which contains the tomb of Confucius. Ch'-fu has long been a major site for pilgrims and tourists who come to visit the temples, the tomb, and the other surviving memorials to China's greatest sage.