A brief biography of Mencius, the second sage in Chinese culture, and the temple commemorating him

Mencius, an ancient Chinese philosopher and educator, inherited and developed Confucius' thoughts and is considered the second sage after Confucius. In his hometown, people have commemorated him in this grand temple for more than a thousand years. And this is the story of Mencius and this ancient site. Mencius was born around 370 BC in the state of Zhou, which is now Zoucheng City, Shandong Province, China. In the early 11th century AD, the Song dynasty government built a temple in his hometown to commemorate him. Over the centuries, the temple has undergone expansion and renovation to its current size. When Mencius was born, China was in a state of division, with local forces engaged in constant conflict. Despite the chaos, many philosophers emerged during that period, including Confucius, who was born nearly two centuries before Mencius. Their hometowns are only a few dozen kilometers apart. Mencius' teacher was a student of Confucius' grandson. Therefore, Mencius inherited the core of Confucius' theory of benevolence and developed a more complete theoretical system. Mencius believed that people are born with sympathy and compassion. He gave an example, saying that anyone who sees a child about to fall into a well would instinctively rescue the child. In terms of politics, Mencius' core idea is to prioritize the people. He believed that the people came first, the country second, and the emperor last. The emperor should love his people and make them prosperous. Then the people will naturally support him. When dealing with tyrants, the people have the right to overthrow the regime. Mencius' life experience is very similar to Confucius'. He spent a long time teaching. After middle age, he went to various regimes to seek opportunities to realize his political ambitions. However, whenever he arrived in a state, the people in power would only respect him as an outstanding scholar. They would not let him serve as an official because they did not accept his political theories. In his later years, Mencius returned to his hometown. He focused only on education and writing since then. He wrote the book Mencius, which is one of the most important classics of Confucianism. In 289 BC, Mencius passed away at the age of 84, about 1000 years after his death during the Tang Dynasty. As Confucianism gradually became the mainstream ideology in China, the status of Mencius and his works increased. People began to call him the second sage after Confucius. Perhaps because he placed the people above the emperor, many Chinese emperors did not like Mencius that much. But this doesn't change the fact that Mencius was a great Confucian master. In China, people often mention Confucius and Mencius together, and his philosophy of benevolence will continue to be passed on.