The Xue Palace of Deqing

The Xue Palace of Deqing is the key state reserve. It was first built in the forth year of Xian gfu Reign (AD1011), and rebuilt in the first year of Dade Reign (AD1297). It is the oldest Confucius Temple. The whole temple is divided into left, right and middle three groups of buildings with the north-south axle. The construction includes palace, altar, pavilion, clan hall, corridors, ponds and bridges and so on. Among them the Dacheng Palace is the main building which kept the features of the wooden building of the Song Dynasty and Yuan Dynasty. Its three characters “four pillars not reaching the ceiling, four pillars less in the hall and the longest extension of the beam".