Zōuxiàn

Zou County is celebrated as the home of Mencius, the Confucian thinker whose teachings gave it an enduring place in Chinese learning. South of the old town stand the temple dedicated to him and the residence of his direct descendants, while the family burial ground lies beneath the hills to the northeast. Together these places preserve the memory of the philosopher and the lineage charged with his rites.

The temple was moved to its present site in 1121 and repeatedly repaired under later dynasties, including the Ming and Qing, as its halls were repeatedly enlarged. The Meng residence grew beside it, with offices, living quarters and a garden arranged along a central axis. In 1577 the Ming authorities rebuilt Zou's earthen city walls in brick.