# Confucius Temple and Imperial Academy, Beijing

> Beijing's Confucius Temple and the Imperial Academy (Guozijian) next door are one museum on one ¥30 ticket, a five-minute walk from the Lama Temple. It's open Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00–17:00, last entry 16:30, and closed Mondays except public holidays. Come for 198 stone tablets of exam graduates, old cypresses and the Biyong Hall. Allow 60–90 minutes.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-confucius-temple

- City: [Beijing](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing), China
- YesGo score: 33/100 (Yes, if nearby)
- Time on site: 1 h 15 min
- With kids: Fine with kids
- Ticket: ¥30 — one ticket for the Confucius Temple and the Imperial Academy
- Concession: ¥15 for full-time university and college students in China with student ID
- Children: Under 1.2 m free
- Wednesdays: 200 free places for individual visitors, booked in advance, while they last
- Hours: 9:00–17:00, last entry 16:30
- Closed: Mondays, except public holidays
- Where to buy: At the ticket office or in the “Ticket Service” section of the museum's official WeChat account
- Payment: Cash, or WeChat Pay / Alipay linked to a foreign Visa or Mastercard
- Metro: Lines 2 and 5, Yonghegong Lama Temple station, Exit G, then a 6-minute walk
- Address: 13 Guozijian Street, Dongcheng District (国子监街13号)
- Coordinates: 39.94518, 116.40830
- Facts checked: 04.11.2026

## Key facts

- **1302** — the Confucius Temple was founded under the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty (source: Beijing Municipal Government; English, Russian and Chinese Wikipedia)
- **No. 2** — the second-largest Confucius temple in China, after the one in his home town of Qufu (source: English, Russian and Chinese Wikipedia; Visit Beijing)
- **198 tablets** — carry 51,624 names of top imperial exam graduates (jinshi) from the Yuan, Ming and Qing (source: Visit Beijing; English and Russian Wikipedia)
- **189 steles** — carved with the full text of the Thirteen Classics, the Confucian canon (source: Visit Beijing; Russian and Chinese Wikipedia)
- **1784** — the Biyong Hall was built for the emperor's lectures (source: Chinese Wikipedia; Travel China Guide)
- **≈ 2 ha** — the temple's four courtyards on a north–south axis (source: English, Russian and Chinese Wikipedia)
- **Temple left, school right** — the classic layout — the academy sits west of the temple behind a shared wall (source: English and Chinese Wikipedia; Visit Beijing)
- **≈ 300 m** — in a straight line from the Confucius Temple to the Lama Temple (source: Wikidata coordinates)
- **1981–2005** — the temple housed part of the Capital Museum's collection (source: English and Russian Wikipedia)
- **1 ticket** — two monuments — temple and academy are one museum (source: Beijing Municipal Government; Visit Beijing)

## Confucius Temple tickets and price

One ticket covers both the temple and the Imperial Academy: **¥30**. Full-time university and college students in China pay ¥15 with student ID — the wording suggests foreign student cards don't count. Guides say children under 1.2 m go free. Visit Beijing also mentions 200 free places for individual visitors on Wednesdays, booked in advance; we couldn't find how a foreign visitor books one.

Buy **at the ticket office** by the entrance, or ahead in the “Ticket Service” section of the museum's official WeChat account, as the Beijing government advises. Unlike the Forbidden City, you don't need to book days in advance. Carry your passport anyway — many Chinese tickets are real-name.

Paying is the one snag. Link a foreign Visa or Mastercard to **Alipay or WeChat Pay** before you fly, or carry some yuan in cash, which sellers are required to accept. ¥30 doesn't justify a tour for the ticket alone, but a guide makes the stone tablets and exam history far more interesting.

> **Closed on Mondays** The Confucius Temple and Imperial College Museum is shut on Mondays, except on public holidays. On other days last entry is at 16:30, and the gates close at 17:00. The Lama Temple across the road is a separate site with its own ticket and rules — check its hours separately.

## Confucius Temple opening hours

The museum is open **Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 to 17:00**, with last entry at 16:30. It's closed on Mondays unless the Monday is a public holiday. That's what both the Beijing Municipal Government and the official Visit Beijing portal say.

Some guides still quote older seasonal hours — 8:30 to 18:00 in summer. The current official pages say 9:00–17:00, so plan around that. Hours are sometimes extended around Chinese holidays, but don't rely on it.

Come **on a weekday morning** at 9:00 and you'll often have the courtyards nearly to yourself. If you're also doing the Lama Temple, go there first — it gets busier towards midday — then cross over here for the calm.

## How to get to the Confucius Temple

1. From Tiananmen Square, take **Line 1** from Tiananmen East two stops to **Dongdan**.
2. Change to **Line 5** northbound: Dengshikou, Dongsi, Zhangzizhonglu, Beixinqiao, then **Yonghegong Lama Temple** — about 10 minutes on the train.
3. Leave by **Exit G** and walk south along Yonghegong Street for about 4 minutes, with the Lama Temple on your left.
4. Turn **right** under the archway into Guozijian Street and walk west for about 2 minutes — the Confucius Temple gate is on your right. Around 30 minutes door to door from the square.
5. Andingmen station on Line 2 also works: about 600 m in a straight line, from the west end of Guozijian Street.
6. From Capital Airport, take the Airport Express to Beixinqiao and ride Line 5 one stop north to Yonghegong.
7. Buses 13 and 684 stop at Guozijian; 116 and 117 at Yonghegong.

## Is the Confucius Temple worth it?

Yes, if you're already at the Lama Temple — it's five minutes away and makes a perfect contrast: incense, monks and crowds on one side, quiet courtyards, cypresses and rows of stone tablets on the other. It's one of the calmest places in central Beijing.

It's less of a must if you'd be crossing the city just for this. The buildings are handsome but smaller than the Forbidden City or the Temple of Heaven, and the appeal is the atmosphere and the story of China's exam system rather than a single showstopper. **60–90 minutes** is enough for both halves; with the Lama Temple and a stroll down Guozijian Street, plan a half day.

## What to see at the Confucius Temple and Imperial Academy

- **The jinshi tablets** — 198 stone tablets with 51,624 names of men who passed the highest imperial exam under the Yuan, Ming and Qing.
- **Dacheng Hall** (大成殿, Hall of Great Accomplishment) — the main hall under a double yellow-tiled roof, with Confucius's spirit tablet and old ritual musical instruments.
- **The Touch-Evil Cypress** — a Ming legend says a branch knocked the hat off a corrupt official as he walked past.
- **Stone drums** by the Dacheng Gate — Qianlong-era copies of ancient Zhou-dynasty stone drums.
- **The Thirteen Classics steles** — 189 stone slabs carved with the entire Confucian canon every civil-service candidate had to know.
- **The glazed archway** in front of the Biyong Hall, faced in coloured glazed tiles.
- **Biyong Hall** (辟雍) — a square pavilion in a round pool crossed by four bridges, where the emperor lectured scholars.
- **Guozijian Street** — a tree-lined hutong with painted archways; walk its full length when you leave.

## What is the Imperial Academy (Guozijian)?

The Guozijian was China's top state school under the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Sources date its founding to 1287 or 1306. Students came here to master the Confucian classics and prepare for the civil-service exams that decided who got an official post. It sits west of the temple behind a shared wall, following the old rule of “temple on the left, school on the right”.

The temple itself dates from **1302** and was enlarged under the Ming and Qing. Graduates who earned the top degree, **jinshi**, had their names carved on tablets in the temple courtyard — an empire-wide honour roll. In 1784 the Qianlong Emperor added the Biyong Hall for his own lectures, and nearby stood 189 steles with the full classics so students could check their texts.

In the 20th century the complex became a museum; from 1981 to 2005 the temple housed part of the Capital Museum. Today temple and academy are a single museum and a state-protected monument.

## Confucius Temple vs Lama Temple: what's the difference?

They're **two separate sites across the road from each other**, and people often mix them up. The Lama Temple (Yonghegong) is a working Tibetan Buddhist monastery — monks, incense, people praying — with its own entrance on Yonghegong Street, its own ticket and its own rules. The Confucius Temple and Imperial Academy is a quiet museum on Guozijian Street.

Combining them is easy: gate to gate takes about five minutes on foot. Do the [Lama Temple](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/lama-temple) in the morning, cross over here, then wander Guozijian Street and the cafés of Wudaoying Hutong — half a day without touching the metro.

## Before you go: checklist

- [ ] It's not Monday — or it's a public holiday
- [ ] I'll be there before 16:30, when entry closes
- [ ] Original passport with me
- [ ] Cash in yuan, or WeChat Pay / Alipay working with my foreign card
- [ ] 孔庙和国子监博物馆 saved to show a taxi driver
- [ ] Decided whether to add the Lama Temple — next door, separate ticket

## Confucius Temple vs Lama Temple vs Temple of Heaven

|  | Confucius Temple & Academy | Lama Temple | Temple of Heaven |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| What it is | Museum: Confucian temple and imperial academy | Working Buddhist monastery | Park with imperial altars |
| Ticket | ¥30 | ≈ ¥25 (unofficial) | ¥10–15, ¥28–34 with halls |
| Mondays | Closed | Check before you go | Halls closed |
| Feel | Quiet, tablets and cypresses | Monks, incense, crowds | Morning tai chi and dancing |
| Time | 60–90 min | 1.5–2 hours | 2 hours |

Add the Confucius Temple whenever you visit the Lama Temple — it's next door and the contrast is the point. Crossing town just for it makes sense if China's scholar-officials and exams interest you. The Temple of Heaven is at the other end of the centre and on a much bigger scale.

## Beijing’s historic sights compared

Every historic sight in Beijing rated by YesGo.

- [Tiananmen Square](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/tiananmen-square) — YesGo score 68/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · Free, passport booking
- [Forbidden City](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/forbidden-city) — YesGo score 61/100 (Yes, go) · 3 h 30 min · ¥40 Nov–Mar, ¥60 Apr–Oct
- [Chairman Mao Memorial Hall](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/mao-mausoleum) — YesGo score 55/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free, booking required
- [Temple of Heaven](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/temple-of-heaven) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h · ¥10–15, ¥28–34 with halls
- [Great Hall of the People](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/great-hall-of-the-people) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · ¥30, students ¥15; WeChat booking
- [Tiananmen Gate](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/tiananmen-gate) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · ¥15, concession ¥5, booking only
- [National Museum of China](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/national-museum-of-china) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Free, passport booking
- [Wangfujing Street](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/wangfujing-street) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free
- [Beijing hutongs](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-hutongs) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free; rickshaw about ¥100–200
- [Nanluoguxiang](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/nanluoguxiang) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free, open 24 hours
- [Houhai Lake and Shichahai](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/houhai-lake) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free
- [Jingshan Park](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/jingshan-park) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · ¥2, ¥10 during exhibitions
- [Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple)](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/lama-temple) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ ¥25, booked in WeChat
- [Drum and Bell Towers](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-drum-and-bell-towers) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ¥30 for both towers
- [Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan)](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/old-summer-palace) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ¥10, ¥25 with the ruins
- [Confucius Temple and Imperial Academy](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-confucius-temple) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ¥30, one ticket with the Guozijian
- [Beihai Park](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beihai-park) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ¥5–10, ¥15–20 with the island
- [Summer Palace](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-summer-palace) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h 30 min · ¥20–30, ¥50–60 through ticket
- [Prince Gong's Mansion](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/prince-gong-mansion) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ¥40, book ahead with passport
- [798 Art Zone](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/798-art-zone) — YesGo score 32/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Free; some exhibitions charge
- [Great Wall at Badaling](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/badaling-great-wall) — YesGo score 27/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ¥40 entry; ¥35 November–March
- [Beijing Zoo](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-zoo) — YesGo score 26/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ¥10–15, ¥14–19 with pandas
- [Ming Tombs](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/ming-tombs) — YesGo score 23/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ¥20–40 per site, ¥30–60 in summer
- [Great Wall at Juyongguan](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/juyongguan-great-wall) — YesGo score 20/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ¥35 entry; ¥40 April–October
- [Great Wall at Mutianyu](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/great-wall-mutianyu) — YesGo score 19/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · ¥40–45 entry; cable car ¥100–140
- [Gubei Water Town and Simatai Great Wall](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/gubei-water-town) — YesGo score 16/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · ¥140 entry; ¥170 with Simatai wall

## Temples and hutongs of the north centre in half a day

The Lama Temple, the Confucius Temple, the hutongs and the Drum Tower, then Houhai Lake at dusk. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.

1. [Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple)](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/lama-temple) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ ¥25, booked in WeChat
2. [Confucius Temple and Imperial Academy](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-confucius-temple) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ¥30, one ticket with the Guozijian
3. [Beijing hutongs](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-hutongs) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free; rickshaw about ¥100–200
4. [Drum and Bell Towers](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-drum-and-bell-towers) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ¥30 for both towers
5. [Houhai Lake and Shichahai](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/houhai-lake) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free

> **Walk it east to west** Start at the temple gate, take in the jinshi tablets and the Dacheng Hall, then go through the side gate into the academy for the glazed archway and the Biyong Hall. You follow a candidate's whole journey — from honouring the teacher to the hall where the emperor lectured — and exit straight onto Guozijian Street.

## Good to know

The largest and most important Confucius temple is in Qufu, Shandong, the philosopher's birthplace; Beijing's is the second largest. There's no dress code — it's a museum, not a working temple. Dress more modestly next door at the Lama Temple, which is an active monastery.

## Tips

- Pair it with the Lama Temple — the gates are five minutes apart, but tickets and rules are separate.
- Arrive at 9:00 for empty courtyards and clean photos of the tablets.
- Wear comfortable shoes: the courtyards are paved with old, uneven stone.
- Slow down at the jinshi tablets: each carries hundreds of names, and they are the most unusual thing here.
- After the museum, walk Guozijian Street to the end and turn into Wudaoying — the [hutongs](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-hutongs) here are quiet and lived-in.
- Save 孔庙和国子监博物馆 on your phone: taxi drivers won't know the English name.
- Carry a little cash — the ticket office doesn't need your phone to work.

## Questions

### How much is the Confucius Temple ticket in Beijing?

¥30, covering both the Confucius Temple and the Imperial Academy (Guozijian). Students at Chinese universities pay ¥15; guides say children under 1.2 m go free.

### What are the Confucius Temple opening hours?

Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00–17:00, with last entry at 16:30. Closed on Mondays except public holidays.

### Do I need to book in advance?

Not usually. You can buy at the ticket office or in the museum's official WeChat account. Bring your passport.

### How do I get to the Confucius Temple by metro?

Lines 2 or 5 to Yonghegong Lama Temple station, Exit G; walk 4 minutes south on Yonghegong Street, then 2 minutes west along Guozijian Street.

### Is the Confucius Temple the same as the Imperial College?

They're two neighbouring monuments — the temple and the Imperial Academy (Guozijian) — run as one museum with one ticket and a side gate between them.

### How far is the Confucius Temple from the Lama Temple?

About 300 m in a straight line, five minutes on foot between the gates. They're separate sites with separate tickets.

### Is the Confucius Temple worth visiting?

Yes, especially combined with the Lama Temple. It's quiet and atmospheric rather than grand; skip it if you're short on time and would have to cross the city just for it.

### How long do you need at the Confucius Temple?

60–90 minutes for the temple and academy; half a day with the Lama Temple and Guozijian Street.

### Is there a dress code?

No — it's a museum, not a working temple. Cover shoulders and knees if you're also visiting the Lama Temple.

## How we checked

Price, concession, hours, Monday closure and where to buy come from the Beijing Municipal Government; a 2025 Visit Beijing article gives the same ¥30 and 9:00–17:00. An older Visit Beijing card and many guides list seasonal hours of 8:30–18:00 and 8:30–17:00; the government page (2024) and the 2025 article both say 9:00–17:00, so we treat the seasonal hours as outdated. Free entry for children under 1.2 m comes from guides and an older Visit Beijing article and is marked checking, as are the Wednesday free places — we found no way for foreigners to book them. No official source says whether a passport is needed to buy. Exit G and walking times come from an undated Visit Beijing card. Sources disagree on the academy's founding year (1287 per the Beijing government, 1306 per Wikipedia and another Visit Beijing article), so we give both. The Lama Temple price is unofficial. One source dates the Biyong Hall to 1783, two to 1784; we use 1784.

## Sources

- Beijing Municipal Government, english.beijing.gov.cn — Ticketing, Museums: Confucian Temple and Imperial College Museum (price, concession, hours, Monday closure, where to buy, address)
- Visit Beijing (official Beijing tourism portal): museum article with Wednesday free places (20 May 2025); Guozijian card — metro Exit G, buses; articles on the academy and the stone classics
- English, Russian and Chinese Wikipedia: Beijing Temple of Confucius, Beijing Guozijian and their Russian and Chinese counterparts; Wikidata Q1064580, Q718582
- Travel China Guide — Biyong Hall
- Wikidata — coordinates of the Confucius Temple, Lama Temple, Yonghegong and Andingmen stations
- YesGo's Beijing and China notes: metro and airport express, paying with foreign cards

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