Seat of learning

Beijing Guozijian, or Imperial College, was once the highest educational institution in the country, but is now part of Confucius Temple and the Imperial College Museum.

Students have not forgotten this and recently, at a celebration to honor the 2,560th birthday of the sage at Confucius Temple, prayers were offered up in the hope of being enrolled at a famous university.

Confucius temples can be found all across China but the one in Beijing, where emperors of the Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties offered sacrifices to Confucius, is of the highest rank.