The 320 million yuan five-year project to restore the Confucius complex is now starting in order to preserve the ancient buildings and paintings adorning the Confucius temple, mansion and cemetery in Shandong Province on Friday.
According to Shandong's Provincial Administrator of Cultural Heritage Xie Zhixiu, the project is the first of its kind after 100 years since the last restoration job was done in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). He highlighted that for 100 years, it has taken a toll on the complex' paintings and overall structure which indicates the necessity for such a project. In order to restore the complex to its former glory, more than 200 craftsmen and 30 technicians are employed to do the repairs for the 140,000 square meters of paintings throughout the complex and it is currently funded by the central government of Shandong. Xue remarks that these skilled workers would study every material used for these building to retain its essence.
The complex is known as the San Kong as it is where Confucius was born and buried. The complex - located in Qufu - was established in 478 BC and throughout the years, it has been renovated by various emperors. It is also, by far, the largest and oldest Confucius temple in existence. It is also one of the famous ancient architecture complex still seen today in China alongside the Forbidden City and the Summer Resort. These buildings were also cited as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1994.
At least 1 million people visit the site every year and huge crowds often gather in the complex for special ceremonies honoring the Chinese scholar.
