James Baquet

AFTER my two summer trips, school started and my pilgrimage was put on hold until, in the spring of 2010, I received a surprise invitation.

A former student from Shaolin Temple called in March of 2010 and asked if I would attend a ceremony for a new temple in Jining, Shandong. This would put me near Jinan, where another temple on my list was located.

So on April 3, I was on the dais for the groundbreaking of Chongde Temple (崇德寺).

The next day, I went with my Shaolin friend and a senior monk from Shaolin Temple, Master Yongqian (永乾), as well as a “Buddhist pop star” named Gu Kai (顾凯), to the home of Confucius in Qufu.

Along with the nearby Temple of Confucius and the more-distant Confucian Cemetery, the Kong Family Mansion is part of a UNESCO-recognized heritage site. (“Kong” is the family name of the man we call “Confucius” in English.)

Originating as a modest house, over the centuries the complex grew until, in the 16th century, it reached a total of 560 rooms in 170 buildings. It was used by the descendants of Confucius as a residence and workplace.

It was renovated in 1838, but destroyed by fire in 1885. What we see today is a Qing- and Republic-period reconstruction, with a still-impressive 480 rooms in 152 buildings filled with magnificent scrolls, paintings, and other cultural relics.

After, we pressed on to Jinan, where the monks went on to Henan as I checked into a hotel for the night.