Located on the northwestern outskirts of Qufu City, the Confucius Forest (kong lin), burial ground for Confucius and his descendants, is the oldest and largest clan burial ground in the world. It was first built in the year following Confucius's death (479 BC) and has been renovated many times since Confucianism was installed as a country wide philosophy.

The forest covers a total area of about two square kilometers, encircled by a 5.6km long wall. In the forest, there are over 20,000 pine and cypress trees. Buried here is the great philosopher himself and his descendants. Lining the path leading to the tomb are a pair of stone panthers, griffins and stone guardians.

The forest is an interesting way to spend a day, cycling or strolling among ancient trees and tombstones, with a chance to get a bit of solitude away from the crowds. The tombs of Confucius (Kongzi), and his two immediate sons, Kongli and Kongji, are encircled by a red wall, within the centre of the complex.

How to get there: Bus No.1 from the city center takes you directly to the forest in around 20 minutes.
Cost: RMB20
Opening hours: 7:30am-6:30pm