Situated in the south part of Nanjing and surrounded by the Qinhuai River, the Confucius Temple (Fuzimiao) is one of the city’s most popular attractions. Confucius Temple consists of a cluster of symetrically arranged buildings and covers an area of over 26,000 square meters. The temple is home to excellent examples of both Ming and Qing dynasty architecture. However, the biggest draw for most Nanjing locals is the great food and shopping.
The Confucius Temple in Nanjing was originally constructed in the year of 1034 in the Song Dynasty. It was a place to worship and consecrate Confucius, the great philosopher and educator of ancient China. It is also known as Fuzimiao in Chinese. This temple suffered repeated damage and has been rebuilt on several occasions since that time. 1937 was the most destruction when it was burnt to ruin by Japanese aggressors. In 1984 the temple was rebuilt under the support of the local government. During the long process, the original building expanded to be a complex building in the architectural style of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, including the Confucius Temple itself, the Jiangnan Gongyuan (the place of imperial examinations) and the Xue Gong (the Imperial Academy). The complex is still called the Confucius Temple out of habit by locals and visitors.
In front of the Confucius Temple, the Qin Huai River is flowing. On the south bank of the river, there is the longest screen wall in China which is 110-meter-long (about 120 yards) and piled with bricks. The Dacheng Hall is recommended on your trip. It is 16.22 meters high (about 53 feet) and 28.1 meters (about 30 yards) wide featuring a 1.5-meter-high (about 5 feet) pedestal. There are two worthwhile attractions found in the inner hall. One is the largest figure of Confucius in China. The other one is the beautiful collection of 38 vivid panels which are made by various jade, gold and silver, detailing the life of Confucius. Out of the hall, you will see the bronze statue of Confucius as well as the white marble statues of his eight disciples.
A fantastic insight into how ancient Chinese governments choose officials can be gained from visiting the Jiangnan Gongyuan. It is a sight not to be missed. The development of Gongyuan began in the Southern Song Dynasty (420-589), expanding into the Ming and Qing Dynasties, until in the reign of Emperor Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty. It developed to be the biggest exanimation school in China. The main building of Gongyuan is the three-storied Mingyuan Tower which is surrounded by 20,644 examination cells, called 'haoshe' in Chinese. Now, a specialized museum on the imperial civil examination system is built here. Visitors also have the opportunity to take simulated exams and experience the joys and sorrows of the candidates.
The area around the temple consists of a series of tourist shops, snack bars, restaurants and tea cafes. They all appear to be in the architectural style of the Ming and Qing style. A variety of snacks encompassing eight of the most famous flavours are available for purchase at here. Everyone's individual tastes are well catered for.They are necessary parts of food culture in Nanjing.
In addition to common boutiques, there are many shops in Confucius Temple that feature local folk crafts and commodities, unavailable in other parts of the country. Tourists can buy various Nanjing specialties including Nanjing brocade, Jinling gold foil, Jinling folding fans, wood carvings, Rain flower pebbles, Nanjing dried salted duck, Yuhua tea and much more. Generally speaking, the initial price quoted by the peddlers will be much higher than the price you can bargain down to, so it’s advised to learn how to bargain Chinese style before making purchases.
Tips:
How to Bargain
When bargaining take the attitude of "there’s nothing to lose."
Foreigners are often quoted prices that may be as much as 20 times as high as the equivalent price would be for a Chinese person. However, just because they quote that price does not mean they will not settle for less. After hearing their offer you should reply with an offer that is much lower. As long as you have a smile on your face don’t be afraid to make an offer that you think is even lower than the value of the item. If your first offer is too high you might lose out, but if it is too low you don’t have much to lose.
It is a habit for travellers to mentally translate prices into their own home currency. Try not to do this.
If you are in a tourist area DO NOT IMPULSE BUY. Even if the vendor drops the price from 90 yuan to 20 yuan you may still not be getting the best price. Chances are that there are many people selling the same item within the area so check out your options first. Again, you can’t lose by checking out your other options.
In busy markets the initial price you will be quoted for an item will get lower as you walk farther into the market. Why? Because the shop owners in the middle of the market know you have likely already seen the item at several other stores so they will give you a more competitive price right from the start. They also know that they can’t tell you that that teapot on display is an original that they personally crafted because they know you would have already seen multiple replicas in the other shops on the way.
You should check for flaws in each item at each shop you visit. Do not take product quality for granted. If it has large flaws don’t buy it but if it has any small and acceptable flaws you can use that to push the price down a bit.
If you want to push the price down just a little bit more then learn to look disappointed and walk away. This is a common tactic. The seller will often only shout out their cheapest price as you walk away from them. If they don’t shout a cheaper price to you and you still want to buy from them then just come back later. They will still be there. You’ve got nothing to Lose.
Simplified Bargaining Steps
- Ask for the price and make sure they provide the first offer.
- Offer a much lower price than the price they quote you.
- Check the item for flaws.
- Smile and talk the price down.
- Put on a slightly disappointed face and walk away.
- If time permits, repeat this process with similar vendors.
- Choose the best one and pay your money.
- Make sure the change given is authentic and get going.