Temple of the Second Sage

The Meng Temple, also known as the Temple of the Second Sage, is located at No. 44, Yashengfu Street, Zoucheng City, Jining, Shandong Province. It has been a place for worshiping the Warring States period thinker Mencius throughout history. It was first built in the fourth year of Jingyou in the Northern Song Dynasty (1037). The Meng Temple is rectangular in shape, with five courtyards. It is 458.5 meters long from north to south and 95 meters wide from east to west, covering an area of 43,600 square meters (about 65.4 acres). The architectural complex is divided into three routes: east, middle, and west, with the Temple of the Second Sage as the main building. The north-south axis serves as the central line, with symmetrical arrangements on both sides. Inside the courtyard, there are 64 halls including the Temple of the Second Sage, the Temple of Enlightenment, the Temple of Mencius' Mother, and the Hall of Strictness, along with more than 350 steles and stone carvings.