3 Days Qufu Confucius Culture Tour with Mt. Taishan

Hello travelers, you are in Qufu (曲阜), the birthplace of Confucius and the origin of China's Confucianism. Your guide and driver will meet you at Qufu Train Station and escort you to hotel for check-in.

Next, meet Qufu. Your first stop is Confucius Temple (孔子博物馆), China's premier national museum dedicated to Confucius. It shows his life, Confucian culture, and the history of his descendants—your initial encounter with Confucius before exploring the Confucius Temple, Kong Family Mansion, and Confucius Cemetery.

Inside, across three floors, you'll find over 700,000 artifacts, including the Kong Family Archives, recognized as a "Memory of the World" heritage, detailing the daily management of this immense family. The museum's most prized possession is the "Yellow Horse," a representative jade carving from the Warring States period's State of Lu.

Notice: Closed on Monday.

Then, drive 30 minutes to Nishan Sacred Land (尼山圣境), the trending Confucius cultural tourism complex at Confucius's birthplace. Here, you'll find the world's largest Confucius statue, towering 72 meters. The Confucius Academy (孔子大学堂) is central. You can admire traditional sacrificial rituals and music. At Nishan Academy (尼山书院), learn calligraphy and write classic Confucian sentences. The interactive zone allows you to try simulated Confucian manners, play ancient instruments, practice archery, and enjoy ancient chariot driving. Good way to be Confucius's students!

Optional: "Golden Sound and Jade Vibration" Live Show

At the Confucius Academy, you can choose to watch "Golden Sound and Jade Vibration" live show. This performance portrays Confucius's whole life and how ordinary people, shaped by Confucian culture, transform into a grounded, kind person. Very impressive!

After the tour, your guide and driver will escort you to hotel in Qufu.

Get to Qufu: Take a high-speed train from Jinan (0.5-1h), Beijing (2h), Shanghai (3.5-4h), Tianjin (2h).

Today, you will start a day tour to Confucius Temple, Kong Family Mansion, Confucius Cemetery. All entered UNESCO World Heritage list in 1994. Get closer to Confucianism, the Chinese cultural roots that run deep.

Start from Confucius Temple (孔庙), "Ancestor of East Asian Confucian Temples." This site stands as one of China's "Three Great Ancient Architectural Complexes," a peer to Beijing's Forbidden City and Chengde Mountain Resort.

This temple, built on the site of Confucius's former residence in 478 BC, just one year after Confucius's passing. It became a crucial ritual site where 12 emperors performed honor. Beginning in the 3rd century BC, emperors had generous hand in investment of Confucius-related buildings. Today, its sprawling 140,000 square meters are vast enough to fill 9 to 12 baseball fields!

You will visit its Dacheng Hall (大成殿) and Apricot Altar (杏坛). Dacheng Hall, a luxurious main site for honoring Confucius, ranks among "Three Great Eastern Halls" (alongside Forbidden City's Hall of Supreme Harmony and Dai Temple's Tiankuang Hall). Inside, note the ten carved dragon pillars. Nearby is the Apricot Altar, where Confucius taught.

Notice: Annually, from September 27th to October 7th, Confucius Temple hosts the International Confucius Cultural Festival (国际孔子文化节)'s grand sacrificial rituals.

Just east of the Confucius Temple lies Kong Family Mansion (孔府), home of Confucius's direct family. As one of feudal China's most prestigious family estates, it's known as "The Foremost Family Under Heaven." For nearly a millennium, from the 10th century, Confucius's descendants resided and worked here, inheriting noble privileges—as if Confucius’fame forever blessed them.

You will admire a living feudal family life on this sprawling 160,000-square-meter super villa. It’s your ancient villa tour with Grand halls, private quarters, and ancestral shrines. Explore details like ancient delivery lockers in walls and gate paintings warning against greed.

Then, 1,500 meters away, Confucius Cemetery (孔林), "the Museum of Ancient Chinese Burial Culture," is the vast family burial ground for Confucius and over 100,000 descendants, established over 2,500 years ago. It lets travelers admire how China’s burial customs have changed. What's unique is that this site is still actively in use, with Confucius's descendants continuing to be buried here, staying forever with their legendary family.

After the tour, your guide and driver will escort you to hotel in Qufu.

Hiking Time: 4-5 hours (Sightseeing Bus, Cable Car Included)

Route: Tianwaicun Tourist Center - Sightseeing Bus - Zhongtianmen - The Eighteen Blends - Nantianmen - Yuhuangding - Nantianmen - Cable Car - Sightseeing Bus - Tianwaicun Tourist Center - Return to Hotel

After Breakfast, drive 1.5 hours to Mount Taishan. Spend a full day on the mountain.

Mount Taishan (泰山), the world's first UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Heritage site since 1987, is revered as China's "Foremost Mountain Under Heaven" and the "leader of the Five Sacred Mountains of China," ranking higher than Mount Huashan, Mount Hengshan, Mount Heng (Hunan), and Mount Songshan.

But this amazing fame has no connection with its 1545 meters, but refers to rare Chinese emperor culture. For over two millennia, its majestic scenery drew eyes of ancient emperors, earning it "divine mountain". This solitary peak on the eastern plain was considered by emperors a direct path to communicate with the gods—a real-life ancient "Iron Throne" from Game of Thrones.

It hosted 13 emperors who came for Fengshan sacrifices—grand ceremonies to report achievements to heaven and earth—with Qin Shi Huang being the first.

This mountain has witnessed emperors reporting their deeds to gods, welcomed Confucius who declared famous"small world" from its summit, and observed countless common people throughout millennia. Even 500,000-year-old human fossils at its foot speak to its deep history.

You'll arrive at Tianwaicun Tourist Center and take a 20-minute sightseeing bus to Zhongtianmen (847m), the starting point for your Mount Taishan hike. The section from Zhongtianmen to Nantianmen is the core of the Taishan hike.

First, you'll walk along a gentle path, admiring the distant mountains that seem almost within reach. Then, you'll climb The Eighteen Bends between Zhongtianmen and Nantianmen. This challenging section takes about 2.5 hours and involves over 1,600 steep steps. It needs a lot of energy. Feel free to follow your pace, pausing to admire thousand-year-old stone inscriptions along the way.

Finally, you'll reach Nantianmen (1460m), the summit's entrance. This was a crucial site for ancient emperors performing the Fengshan sacrifices. From Nantianmen, you can look down upon the steep path of The Eighteen Bends and gaze at the layered mountain ranges in the distance. In this moment, you might share Confucius's open heart.

From there, take a 40-minute stroll eastward along Tianjie (Heavenly Street) to reach Yuhuangding (1545m), Mount Taishan's highest point. Along the way, you'll find the famous "Five Sacred Mountains Unique" inscription, a popular photo spot.

After your tour, back to Nantianmen, take the cable car down to Zhongtianmen, then a sightseeing bus to Tianwaicun Tourist Center. Your guide will escort you to the airport or train station.

Climbing Tips:

1. Even in summer, its summit feels cold. It’s better to pack a light down jacket or windproof outer shell, along with gloves and a hat.
2. For the climb, bring high-energy snacks like chocolate.

Optional: At Mount Taishan Shadow Puppet Intangible Cultural Heritage Theater (泰山皮影非遗剧场), you can enjoy a shadow puppet show and get hands-on to create your shadow puppet. Contact us to book your visit!

Extend Your Travel: Take high-speed train to Seaside city Qingdao (3-3.5h), Beijing (2-2.5h), Shanghai (4-4.5h).

Thank you for taking Shandong Tour! Asia Odyssey Travel is delighted to have guided you on this 3 Days Qufu Confucius Tour with Mt. Taishan. We're always ready to craft your smooth trip in China and across Asia. Until next time!