Kong Forest

The basics

The Kong Forest is full of tombstones and trees, which you can walk among on your own or with a tour guide. On a tour, you can learn more about the centuries of Kong family members commemorated here. Besides the Kong Forest, Qufu is also home to the Confucius Temple and Kong Mansion, which, along with the Kong Forest, make up the Three Confucian Sites, which are well worth exploring.

Things to know before you go

• It’s possible to purchase a ticket for the three Confucian attractions, which can be a better deal than buying separate tickets.
• This is a cemetery, so dress respectfully, even if you see others who aren’t.
• This is a busy attraction for most of the year, so be prepared to have company while exploring the Kong Forest.

How to get there

Take the bullet train to get to Qufu, and from there you can take a taxi or bus to the Kong Forest. Another option is to hire a car and driver to be with you for the day, or longer. They can take you to all the Confucian attractions in Qufu, plus anywhere else you want to be, and wait for you until you finish at each site.

When to get there

If you want to hit the Confucius Culture Festival, head to the Kong Forest during the fall. Spring and summer have warm weather for exploring the forest, so you’ll find crowds of tourists and guides during these times. It’s chilly in the winter in Qufu, but there are fewer tourists at this time, so consider visiting the Kong Forest then.

Confucian temple architecture

There’s something special about the architecture of a Confucian temple, which you can observe in a few different sites in China. The main Confucian characteristics are that the temples are built on one axis and have a bridge at the entrance going over a lotus flower pond. You can find examples in Xian at the Forest of Steles, at the Confucian Temple in Beijing, and at Fuzi Miao in Nanjing.