Ladiesandgentlemen:nowwecometotheBankoftheQinhuaiRiver.ThepainteddefensesintheriverareallmadeinthestyleofMingDynastyarchitecture,withbigredballsandredlanternshangingonthebow.WhenevertheLanternFestival,Nanjingpeopleusedtocomeheretoenjoythelights.ItissaidthataftertheestablishmentofthecapitalofMingDynasty,ZhuYuanjinpaidavisittothecapital.WhenhecametotheBankoftheQinhuaiRiver,hesawtreesonbothsidesoftheriver,clearwater,pavilionsandpleasantscenery.Hesaidcasually,"I'msorryforthelackofboatsintheriver."Whentheemperoropenedthegoldengate,hesentpeopleallnighttobuildtheboatinordertowinthefavoroftheemperor.Sincethen,Qinhuaipaintinghasbecomeamajorfeaturehere.EspeciallyintheMidAutumnFestival,tensofthousandsoflanternsareinfullbloomontheriver,anddragonlanternsaredancingonbothsidesoftheriver.Songs,drums,cheersandlaughterarecontinuousallnight.Itcanbesaidthat"Qinhuaiisthebestintheworld".NowonderthereisafolksayinginNanjingthat"everyfamilywalksonthebridge,everyonelooksatthelight".
ThissectionofQinhuaiRiverinfrontofushasbecomeaConfuciusTemple(ConfuciusTemple)andpanchisincetheSongDynasty,alsoknownascrescentmoon.Inancienttimes,theImperialAcademywascalledBiyong,andtheprinces'AcademywascalledPangong.TheConfuciusTempleAcademywasequivalenttotheplacewheretheprincesgavelectures,sothispoolwascalled"panchi".Generally,therearethreestonebridgesbuiltonpanchi.Accordingtothegrade,countyofficialsandstudentstakethemiddleone,andscholarstakethebridgesonbothsides.Itissaidthatinancienttimes,ascholarmistakenlywenttoZhongqiao.Hewasinadilemmaandhadtojumpintopanchibyhimself.
Pleaselookatasectionofvermilionstonebrickwallontheothersideoftheriver.ThisisthescreenwallofConfuciusTemple.ZhaobiwasbuiltinthethirdyearofWanliintheMingDynasty(LiZeNian),110meterslong,whichisthehighestZhaobiinthewholefamily.Ladiesandgentlemen,thisConfuciusTemplewasbuiltin337,thethirdyearofemperorchengdioftheEasternJinDynasty.Atthattime,EmperorchengdiadoptedtheadviceofWangDao:"thecultivationoftalentsisthemostimportantthingingoverningthecountry",anddecidedtoestablishtheUniversityontheBankofQinhuairiver.InthefirstyearofJingpai(1034),theConfuciusTemplewasbuiltonthebasisofXuefu.Therefore,ConfuciusTempleisabustlingcityevolvedfromaculturalandeducationalcenter.Itincludesthreemainbuildings:ConfuciusTemple,AcademyandGongyuan.ItsscopeisadjacenttotheNorthBankofQinhuaiRiverinthesouth,theeastendofJiankangroadinthenorth,YaojiaLaneintheEastandSifuLaneintheWest.AlthoughtheConfuciusTemplewasdestroyedmanytimes,itwasbuiltandexpandedindifferentdynasties.BytheendoftheQingDynastyandthebeginningoftheRepublicofChina,thestructureandlayoutofitspavilionsandtempleswerethebestinthesoutheast.ThepresentConfuciusTempleispartlyrebuiltinthelateQingDynastyandpartlyrebuiltinrecentyears.Pleaselookback.ThispavilionstylebuildingiscalledKuixingPavilion.ItwasfirstbuiltinQianlongperiodofQingDynasty.Thewaterfrontbuildingwasdestroyedtwiceandrebuiltin1985.
Nowwecometothesquareinfrontofthetemple,whichwasopenedintheQingDynasty.TherearetwostelesstandingattheEastandWestendsofthesquare,aboutonefoothigh.Onthestele,therearetwowordsinManchuandChinese:"Ministerofcultureandmilitarydismountshere"toshowrespectforthesageConfucius.Thepavilionwithsixcornersanddoubleeavesontheleftiscalled"stargatheringPavilion",whichmeansthatallthestarsareconcentratedandtalentsaregathered.Itwasbuiltinthe14thyearofWanliintheMingDynasty(1586),butitwasnotrebuiltuntilthe8thyearofTongzhiintheQingDynasty(1869).ThisistheonlyQingDynastybuildingthatsurvivedtheJapaneseartilleryfire.Unfortunately,itwasdemolishedas"fourold"in1968andrebuiltin1983,restoringitsoriginalstyle.Thememorialarchwayinthemiddleofthesquareiscalled"TianxiaWenshuarchway".Pleasecontinuetofollowme.ThisgateiscalledLingxinggate,whichisthegateofConfuciusTemple.ItissaidthatTAXingisthestarinchargeofeducationinthesky.Heisconvenientandhappy.Thegateisastonestructurewithsixcolumnsandthreegates.Itwasbuiltin1480,the16thyearofChenghuaintheMingDynasty.Itwaslaterdestroyedandrebuiltin1870.However,thepolargateweseenowwasrebuiltin1983.TheEastandwestsidesofthegatearetheEastandWestmarkets.