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 skipped 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 that 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.