Qufu Voyage Tips and guide

Qufu (曲阜 Qūfù) is a town in Shandong Province, located about 2 hours by bus from the provincial capital Jinan. Famous as the birthplace and the hometown of Confucius, its Confucius-related sites have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Qufu is known as the "Holy City of the East". Here there is no commercial hustle and bustle, only a millennium of history, making for a quiet cultural journey.

Qufu has more than 2,500 years of history. Best known as the hometown of China's "first sage", Confucius, it was the home of his descendants who often ruled the place as feudal lords for many centuries, until being forced by the Communist revolution to leave China's mainland for Taiwan.

The center of the national cult of Confucius, and the birthplace of the mythical Yellow Emperor (the legendary founder of the Chinese nation), Qufu saw many emperors decorate its temples with stone tablets (steles), praising Confucius and other heroic figures of the past. Usually written in Chinese, but during some dynasties also in Mongol or Manchu, these steles are among the most characteristic objects to be found at the city's historical sites. The most important of them are supported by mighty stone tortoises (which since the Ming era have become known as bixi). Entire books have been published in China cataloguing Qufu's steles and transcribing their content.

Since the Han Dynasty's "exclusive veneration of Confucianism," the Confucianism founded by Confucius has become the mainstream doctrine in Chinese society, and Qufu has consequently become a revered cultural holy site for successive dynasties. For over two thousand years, countless emperors, generals, scholars, and literati have made pilgrimages, leaving behind numerous stone tablets (steles) in the Confucius Temple and Confucius Cemetery. These tablets are usually inscribed in Chinese, but during the Yuan and Qing dynasties, Mongolian or Manchu scripts were also used. They are often carried by giant stone tortoises called Bixi, becoming one of the most distinctive features of Qufu's historical sites; their quantity and historical value are sufficient to compile into several monographs.

After Confucius' death, his direct descendants lived in Qufu for generations, receiving titles and honors from successive dynasties. In particular, the title of "Duke Yansheng," bestowed upon them from the Song Dynasty onwards, made them one of the oldest aristocratic families in Chinese history, a status that lasted until the mid-20th century. The Kong Family Mansion, where the Kong family resided, was adjacent to the Temple of Confucius and was a grand architectural complex that combined government offices and private residences, reflecting their special political and cultural status.

While Confucian temples exist across East Asia, Qufu's Temple of Confucius is the oldest, largest, and most important.

Besides its Confucian cultural heritage, Qufu also boasts a vibrant Hui community, centered in the Xiguan district outside the west gate of the ancient city.

Administratively, Qufu is a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Jining City in southwestern Shandong Province.

Qufu lies in southwestern Shandong Province and has a temperate monsoon climate with four distinct seasons.Summers are generally hot and humid, winters cool to cold, and spring and autumn transitional periods tend to be short. Precipitation is mainly concentrated in summer months, while winters are relatively dry.

On average, the yearly mean temperature in Qufu is 14–15 °C. The hottest month is July, when average daytime highs reach around 32 °C and nighttime lows around 23 °C. The coldest month is January, with average highs near 4 °C and lows around –6 °C.

Annual rainfall totals 820–850 mm, with the bulk of rain falling in summer especially July and August, when monthly precipitation often exceeds 220 mm. The driest months are typically January and December, with rainfall below 15 mm.

Because of the summer heat and concentrated rainfall, the best time to visit Qufu is usually in spring (April–May) or autumn (September–October), when temperatures are moderate and rainfall is less frequent.

35°36′0″N 117°0′0″E

Map of Qufu

Bus from Jinan is the usual way, or on a tour. There are buses all day, but check the last departure or you may be spending the night.

There are regular buses from Tai'an (1 hour), Qingdao (5 hours), and other major cities within the province.

• 35.588602116.9420231 Qufu Bus Station (曲阜客运站 Qūfù kèyùn zhàn) (Yulong Rd, 2-3 km west from the historic central city.). There is a frequent city bus service from the central city (outside of the south gates of the city wall) to the bus station.  

There are two main railway lines between Beijing and Shanghai: the high speed line opened in 2011, and the century old "conventional" railway.

• 35.556463117.0632172 Qufu East Railway Station (曲阜东站, Qūfù Dōng Zhàn). The high-speed line passes within a few kilometers from Qufu, and Qufu East Railway Station, located within several kilometers to the south-east of the city, is served by many high-speed (G- and D-series) trains (during daytime only), with direct service to Beijing, Tianjin, Jinan, Nanjing, Shanghai, Qingdao, and points in between. With the faster of them (G-series) it takes 2 hours from Beijing and 3 hours from Shanghai.  
• 35.556222116.8357373 Yanzhou Railway Station (兖州站). The "conventional" Beijing-Shanghai mainline, running slower and less expensive trains (T-, K-, etc. series, both in daytime and at night), gives a wide berth to Qufu; the closest station on that line is in Yanzhou, a small city around 15 km west of Qufu. If you arrive to Yanzhou, you can get to Qufu by taxi (around ¥40) or bus (running every 20 minutes from the early morning until 18:00-19:00) for around ¥6. When buying train tickets to Yanzhou, make sure not to confuse the station with the better known Yangzhou!  

• 35.5862117.0292134 Qufu Railway Station (曲阜站 (Qūfù Zhàn)) (2-3 km to the SE from the historic center; accessible by city bus). It is served by a branch rail line, and sees only a very limited service (just a few slow trains a day).  

If you are also visiting Mencius Temple and Mansion in the nearby Zoucheng, you may choose to travel by train to Zoucheng (which is also on the Beijing Shanghai mainline), and go to Qufu by bus (¥6-7, about 30 min travel time) or taxi. However, buses stop running around 18:00.

The closest airport to Qufu is the rather misleadingly named Jining Qufu Airport. While the airport is fairly close to Jining, the capital of the prefecture that Qufu belongs to, it is over 90 km from Qufu by road. Bus J963 can take you from the airport to Qufu. The airport has flights from Beijing, Shanghai, and a few other cities, including Guangzhou, Chengdu, Qingdao and Shenyang.

Jining Da'an Airport (JNG) is the primary airport serving the region. It is in Yanzhou District, a 30-minute drive from downtown Qufu.

Both airports offer domestic flights from cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Qingdao, and Shenyang.

Walk or if you stand in one place too long, hordes of people will offer to transport you via all manner of vehicle, from rickshaw, to bicycle, to taxi, to beast.

The historical central city, surrounded by the restored Ming-era city wall and a moat, and containing Confucius Temple and Kong Family Mansion near its center, is about a mile across, and is small enough to walk. The modern visitor center is located outside the southern gate of the city wall. From the northern gate one can walk to the Confucius Cemetery (Confucius Forest) along a pleasant tree-lined (and, in the summer, vendor-lined) avenue.

Qufu has a small and inexpensive local bus system. The buses run along the east-west street south of the walled city, and can be used to travel to various locations on the city's outskirts, such as Shou Qiu (see below), the Qufu Railway Station (see below), and the intercity bus station. On buses in Qufu, you must press the stop button in advance to signal the driver to stop at your desired station. The bus may not stop if no one signals.

From Qufu East Station, the most convenient way is to take the K01 bus, which directly leads to the city center and major attractions. After exiting the station, follow the instructions inside to the bus stop at West Square. Users have reported that taking the east exit might cause a detour, so be sure to follow the station's instructions. Ticket price: ¥1.

Arrival: Take bus K01 to the Kongmiao South Gate station, and you will arrive at the Three Holes Scenic Area.

Confucius Temple, Confucius Mansion, and Yan Temple: These three attractions are very close by, making them easy to explore on foot or by bike, with a seamless connection.

Konglin is about 2 km from Kongfu. It is recommended to take a taxi or a sightseeing bus within the scenic area (around ¥20 per person), as the larger area makes walking more tiring.

Nishan Holy Land: about 25 km from the city center. It is recommended to take a taxi, hire a private car, or join a tour group that includes transportation. Self driving can help you plan your route in advance.

Shared bicycles and electric vehicles can be found near tourist areas like Wuma Temple Street, suitable for short exploration.

The historical walled city, within which three of the major sites (Temple of Confucius, Kong Family Mansion, and the Yan Hui Temple) and many hotels are a couple of kilometers away. The town is quick to walk through and nice along the main streets. There are some old, restored gates and a winding creek to add atmosphere.

The Confucius Cemetery is a kilometer or so north of the present day city wall. The modern city center is south of the walled city. The Muslim neighborhood with its mosque and a lively market is outside the west gate, while the Song Dynasty sites associated with the Yellow Emperor and Shaohao are about 4 km east of the old city.

You pay for admission (¥30-80 per site, as of 2010) to all the good sites and wander among the sacred buildings, everyday buildings, stelae with inscriptions in Chinese, Mongol, and Manchu, and so forth. A guide or guidebook is essential as many of the sites are very big. Foreign tourists can gain free admission to the Temple of Confucius, Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion if you memorise 5 or more verses of Confucius's Analects in any language, whereas Chinese citizens need to memorise 30.

• 35.615793116.9884571 Confucius Forest (Kong Lin). The Cemetery of Confucius, or "Confucius Forest", is a cemetery where Confucius and more than 70 generations of his descendants have been buried. Besides the tomb of Confucius, it contains a number of interesting sculptural ensembles from the Ming and Qing eras, decorating the tomb sites of Confucius' descendants who were the area's feudal rulers, as well as other dignitaries. A typical ensemble (神道 "shéndào", or "spirit road") for a Duke of Yansheng (the senior-line descendant of Confucius in his generation, and the lord of Qufu) would start with a stone arch and contain a few stone animal statues (horses, rams, felines), a pair of human characters (a warrior and an official), and a stone turtle (赑屃 bìxì) holding a stele praising the deceased. The path leads to the grave tumulus with another (turtle-less) stele on top. Go to the Confucian cemetery towards the end of the day (maybe at 4) and then stroll around until the tour groups are leaving, and you will have the forest all to yourself. Walk to Confucius grave and share some silent moments across 2,500 years with him. A treat if you have been travelling around China for a while and are tired of hordes of people and noise. You can easily walk to the main (southern) gate of the Confucius Forest from Qufu's walled city. A wide tree-lined avenue, about a kilometer long, connects it with the northern gate of the city wall.  (updated Dec 2024)

A more remote site 4 km east of the central city consists of Shou Qiu ("Longevity Hill"), the birth place of the legendary Yellow Emperor, marked with two giant turtle borne steles (apparently, the two largest monuments of this kind in China), and the nearby tomb of his similarly legendary son

• 35.610858117.0329922 Shaohao. with a small stone pyramid (much smaller than those in Egypt or Mexico).   These monuments date to the Song Dynasty.

• 35.50127117.209321 Nishan Sacred Land (take intercity bus from Jining Qufu Airport to Qufu Bus Station; it takes about 3 hours to reach Qufu Bus Station and transfer to Bus No. 30; then, it takes about 1 hour to reach the Lushan Holy Land Luyuan Tourist Center), ☏ 400-6882323 (domestic)Country code missing. ordinary days:09:30-21:00 weekend:09:30-21:30. Nishan Sacred Land is a large scale Confucian culture-themed experience area built around Nishan Mountain (traditionally the birthplace of Confucius). Unlike the "Three Confucian Sites" in Qufu Ancient City, which are centered around historical sites, this place showcases the essence of Confucianism and its contemporary interpretation through grand modern architecture, garden landscapes, and immersive cultural projects, making it more suitable for tourists who wish to experience Confucian culture in depth and intuitively. Adult ¥100/discount ticket ¥80; children under 1.4 meters in height and passengers aged 70 and above can enter the venue free of charge with valid documents.  (updated Sep 2023)
  • 35.4955117.205312 Confucius statue in Nishan Sacred Site (尼山圣境孔子像).  (updated Dec 2025)The world's tallest confucius statue The iconic building of the scenic area, standing at 72 meters tall, is based on the Tang Dynasty painting "Confucius Teaching" by Wu Daozi. Solemn and dignified, it is a must see landmark.
  • 35.4901117.18333 Luyuan Village (曲阜市鲁源).  (updated Dec 2025) adjacent to the Nishan Sacred Land Scenic Area, Luyuan Village is the legendary hometown of Shuliang He, the father of Confucius, and is hailed as a "living village of Confucian culture." Unlike traditional scenic spots, it focuses on an immersive cultural experience, recreating the ancient rural landscape of the State of Lu and scenes of Confucian ritual and music life through meticulously restored stone houses, streets, and courtyards.

City wall and moat: The restored Ming era city wall and its moat are illuminated with ornamental lights at night, creating a picturesque setting for a stroll. It's a popular gathering spot for local residents.

A unique bar built into the structure of the ancient city wall. It's known for a quiet atmosphere, friendly English speaking staff, and is a weekend haunt for some local expatriates.

• Ancient village scenery stroll through the village characterized by stone-paved roads, stone walls, and ancient trees, and visit cultural sites related to the history of Confucius's family, such as the "Shuliang Ancestral Hall."
• Cultural activities The village features numerous study workshops, academies, guesthouses, and teahouses themed around poetry, literature, ritual, music, and family traditions. Visitors can participate in activities such as copying scriptures, making rubbings, and experiencing the guqin (a seven stringed zither).

There are tourist stands all around the temples and shouts of "hello! hello!" can be irritating. The main buys are copies of the Analects and a "chop" with your name engraved on it or something like that. Otherwise, it's the usual tourist stuff.

Rubbings of inscriptions: These are the most distinctive high end cultural souvenirs of Qufu. Rubbings of original steles (such as the famous Han Dynasty steles in the Confucius Temple) are cultural relics and are strictly prohibited from being made or sold. Rubbings sold on the market are all made from newly made replicas of the original steles, and are divided into red rubbings and black rubbings. When purchasing, pay attention to whether the content is a famous passage or inquire about the mounting. A medium sized, mounted rubbing usually costs several hundred yuan.

Qufu kai wood carving: a national intangible cultural heritage. Traditionally, it involves carving ruyi (a type of scepter), walking sticks, and seals from the unique Kai wood found in the Confucius Forest. Nowadays, small Kai wood carvings are also used to create pen holders and paperweights.

Nishan sacred land cultural and Creative products: If you're looking for a modern design aesthetic, head to the cultural and creative shops in the Nishan Sacred Land scenic area. The products there are more ingeniously designed, such as bookmarks, canvas bags, and tea sets that combine the Chinese characters for "benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness" with abstract patterns, or cartoonish Confucius figurines. Prices are slightly higher than in the old street, but the designs are unique.

A great variety of restaurants can be found in the eastern part of the old walled city, a block or two east of Gulou Ave (the main north south street of the old city).

For Halal food, fresh produce, tofu, baked goods, etc. head to the Muslim neighborhood: Xiguan St that runs west from the old city's west gate.

Most restaurants you will easily find have marked up prices due to the tourist nature of the city. Beware asking cab drivers or "wooden cab" drivers as they seem to receive kickbacks. You can expect to pay at least ¥100 getting a meal for two if you are not careful and savvy.

• Qufu International Youth Hostel, Gu Lou Bei Lu (just inside the northern gate.), ☏ +86 537-4418989. It shouldn't come as much surprise that the cheapest place to eat in Qufu is the "bar" inside the International Youth Hostel. You can find a good bit of western food as well as a variety of standard Chinese fare. ¥15-40. 
• Kong family mansion pastries (孔府糕点): Representative local pastries. The classic “Qiaoguo” (巧果) come in shapes like apples, pears, and pomegranates, with thin crusts and fillings of jujube or hawthorn paste. Chrysanthemum pastries and mung bean cakes are also popular, known for their flaky crust and balanced sweetness.
• Kongfu cuisine (Kongfu banquet) originated from family banquets of Confucius' descendants. It features exquisite ingredients and a grand presentation, and is often found in mid to high end restaurants. Representative dishes include Braised Tofu, Roasted Pork Belly, and Ginkgo Nuts with Poetry and Etiquette.
• Braised pork belly rice One of the most common daily meals for locals. Pork belly is slow cooked in a clay pot, with a savory and fragrant flavor, served with rice or pancakes.
• Qufu pancakes Mostly multigrain pancakes, thin and chewy, often rolled with scallions, pickled vegetables, or braised pork belly.

• Kongfujia liquor (孔府家酒)：a 46% alcohol baijiu originating from Qufu, the hometown of Confucius, is more than just a bottle of wine; it carries a rich Confucian cultural heritage and a legendary, widely known advertising story.
• Local teahouses: There are some traditional teahouses around the old city and Confucius Temple, offering a quiet atmosphere suitable for resting or chatting.
• Coffee and modern drinks: you can find small coffee shops in Qufu's old city, catering mainly to students and tourists. While few in number, they offer a refreshing atmosphere.

Finding a place to sleep isn't difficult, as you will probably be approached by people offering accommodation. Outside of the tourist season you can probably bargain pretty hard on the prices. There are a large number of small and mid size hotels within the walled city, on the main north south street and in the blocks to the east. There are also bigger and somewhat more modern looking hotels in the streets south of the walled city, near the visitor center.

• Qufu International youth hostel. A very nice place to stay. With a friendly staff, and entirely new building this is an excellent place to sleep while exploring Qufu and its surroundings. ¥140 for a double and triple with private shower. (updated Dec 2025)
• Muslim visitors may choose to stay at one of a number of halal (qīngzhēn) guesthouses in the Xiguan neighborhood, west of the walled city.

• Qufu Nishan hotel (Nishan sacred land branch), No. 189, Shengshuihu North Road, Nishan Town (within the Nishan Sacred Land scenic area). It offers a tranquil environment and is designed around the theme of Confucian culture. (updated Dec 2025)

• If the China's First Sage, Confucius, isn't enough for you, you can visit the nearby Zoucheng, hometown of the perennially Second Sage, Mencius.
• Tai'an, the gateway to the sacred Mount Taishan, is about an hour away by bus or (infrequent) train.
• Zaozhuang ：is suitable for tourists interested in modern railway history or rural scenery, and offers a chance to visit the ancient city of Taierzhuang.
• Jinan： the capital of Shandong Province, is about a 2 hour high speed train ride from Qufu. Known for its springs, such as Baotu Spring and Daming Lake, Jinan boasts well developed urban facilities and is a good stopover for the next leg of your trip.