Getting to the little town of Qufu is quite a trek into the countryside for what is only a mildly interesting WHS. Visiting is pretty organized here, like the temple, family mansion and cemetery of Confucius are conveniently lined up after each other and share one entry ticket. I decided to go my own way, and started in the middle (at the mansion) and skip the cemetery.

The grounds of the temple and mansion are full of 'Chinese things'. I bought a booklet about those traditional Chinese culture items a few weeks ago, and could tick off quite a number here: door studs, scenic openings (jingdong), stone turtles burdened with stone tablets, zoomorphic ornaments, glazed tiles and a strange ornament that might be Taihu rockery.

The best sight of them all is at the rear of the Confucian Temple. The 18th century Dacheng Hall has ten wonderfully decorated columns, ornamented with dragons.

Although I do not contest its place on the World Heritage List (it certainly has invaluable historic value for northeast Asia), there's not much here which can't be seen elsewhere in China. I can only recommend a visit for those with plenty of time on their hands or studying Chinese culture.