Imagine Beijing’s top imperial sites, but without the tourist throngs. In the offseason, you can almost have some sites entirely to yourself, a lone visitor in a centuries-old temple – a shrine to education and filial piety that was a pilgrimage site for China’s emperors.

Once an overnight, nine-hour train ride from Beijing, the birthplace of Kong Fu Zi, or Confucius as we know him, Qufu in central Shandong province is now a two-hour blaze from the capital on high-speed rail. There’s no airport nearby (the Kong family, Confucius’ descendants, have seen to that), so riding the rails is the way to go.

SEE
Qufu is a walled city first settled about 2,500 years ago. Part of that city wall has been restored, and walking along it, alongside the river is a good place for a scene-setting start to your visit. As can be imagined, many of the attractions in Qufu relate to Confucius. Primary among them is the Kong Miao, the Confucius Temple. Beijingers will notice its similarity to the Confucius Temple near Yonghegong, except that this one is much larger, and is the biggest such shrine to the Master anywhere in the world. Named a UNESCO World Heritage site and built on the site of his former home, it has been destroyed, rebuilt, and expanded over the years to its current form. Its resemblance to the Forbidden City is not coincidental; the temple was renovated by Ming Dynasty emperors after the completion of their Beijing palace complex, using some of the same designers, and wishing to give Confucius similar honor to themselves.

The Confucius Forest enshrouds the Cemetery of Confucius, where he and many of his family members are buried. It’s a pleasant area if you don’t mind passing gravestones during a nature walk.

STAY
Shangri-La now operates the Shangri-La Hotel Qufu, overlooking the Yi River, and offering first-class accommodation. The hotel features a spa and both local and Cantonese cuisine for those looking for a bit more out of their Qufu visit than just Confucius. Rooms start at RMB 600 per night. At the opposite end of the spectrum is the Qufu International Youth Hostel, pleasant and near the center of town. Beds can be had for as little as RMB 45 (rooms for RMB 118) per night.

NEARBY
Tai’an, home to Tai Shan, one of China’s holiest mountains (certainly its most climbed), is about an hour away by train or car. The mountain’s 6,000 steps can be climbed in half a day, and there’s a cable car that can assist in either direction.

This post first appeared on thebeijinger.com on September 2, 2014.

Photos: Wikimedia commons (via the Beijinger)

How time flies when you’re having fun! The September 2014 Issue is out and it’s aimed at introducing families to various available after school activities, specifically sports. The beijingkids team interviewed five coaches to get to insight on the sports they coach – soccer, swimming,golf, tennis, and dance in the year round sports. We feature four family friendly sports that can be a good bonding sessions for families and we spotlight six get into shape sports for moms and dads.

Harvest time is here, so we spotlight different fruits picking orchards to get some family fun before colder temperatures put outdoor activities come on a standstill. Find out what Hong Kong has to offer as the Maanum  family share their vacation recommendations.

We have a mom makeover that was done at Hair and Beauty by Hummingbird that gives this mom a nice demure glamor. For all those kids aged 6 and above whose birthday is in September then find out what Aofan Sailing has to offer. Let’s face it, Beijing houses rarely have enough storage space, and there some things that letting go is not an option, that is where Koala Storage comes in. Find out what they offer and how much renting a storage space is.

We bid adieu to our health columnist Dr. Richard Saint Cyr with this issue being his last so find out what he has to say about UHT milk. Dr. Melissa Rodriguez talks about how to avoid and treat common sports injuries such as a sprain. We have Christopher Lay compares admiration for the Tour de France to daily parenting and Ember Swift looks at the gender roles and teaching kids sports.

Moka Bros’ newest location in Solana has just been tested by siblings Sreena and Jai, check out their verdict in the Dining Out section. The Billings-Bathgate family whips up a vanilla ice cream and tops it with homemade chocolate sauce.

Back to school season is in high gear (the traffic is horrible, enough said), get to understand what schools are doing to tackle bullying and what students from the Canadian International School of Beijing have to say about cyber bullying.

As per the norm, search for family friendly events taking place.

Can’t find the print edition? Send an email to distribution@beijing-kids.com or call 5820 7700. You can also check out the PDF version online at Issuu.