Introduction

Summary

A curious shrine for the robe and cap of Confucius (Kongzi; 551–479 bce) once stood on the rural outskirts of the Qingpu 青浦 district of Shanghai, far from the ancient sage’s hometown of Qufu 曲阜, Shandong, and from anywhere he had traveled in north China. The place was called Kongzhai 孔宅 (Kong Residence) because his clothing was said to have been buried there by a sojourning descendant. From its beginnings as a modest family temple, Kongzhai had developed by the early 18th century into a substantial ritual center with numerous buildings. The buried “relics” of Confucius inspired local patrons to add visual representations of him, and scholarly pilgrims came to offer sacrifices and experience his beneficent aura. Ambitious officials and local literati also used their patronage and other involvement with Kongzhai to enhance their own prestige and build up Qingpu’s reputation. After flourishing for centuries, however, Kongzhai was summarily demolished in 1966, and references to its former existence were deleted from public memory. Today the only features surviving on the site are two majestic old ginkgo trees in a field beside an industrial park (Fig. 1).