In the year following the year in which Confucius passed away, Duke Ai of Lu rebuilt Confucius’ three residential buildings into an ancestral temple. According to The Liji (“The Book of Rites”), the common people were not allowed to erect temples. The erection of the humble temple for Confucius, a commoner, was exceptional. This small ancestral temple helped initiate the national Confucius memorial ceremonies and served as a model for other Confucius temples across China. Liang Sicheng said that over 2,000 years, Confucius’ three residential buildings were expanded to become a large temple consisting of 300 plus buildings built by the state and visited by emperors; nearly each important repair thereof is provided with reliable records; thought the existing Great Temple of Confucius today differs from the original temple, the 2,000-year history of the temple itself is very appealing.