The Confucius Temple (Kongmiao), built in B.C. 478 and situated in the South Gate of Qufu in China, is the first and the largest temple complex built in memory of Confucius. It’s ranked the second largest historical building complex (after the Forbidden City), and its architectural style occupies an important place in the world by covering an area of 16,000 square meters and having a total of 460 rooms. The main part of the temple consists of 9 courtyards organized on a central axis, which is oriented in the north-south direction and is 1.3 km in length. The first three courtyards have small gates and are planted with tall pine trees, they serve an introductory function. The first (southernmost) gate is named Lingxing Gate after a star in the Great Bear constellation, the name suggests that Confucius is a star from heaven. The main buildings are the Stela Pavilions, the Kuiwen Hall (built in 1018, restored in 1504 during the Ming Dynasty and in 1985), the Xing Tan Pavilion, the Dacheng Hall (built in the Qing Dynasty), and the Hall of Confucius' Wife. Each year on September 28, a ceremony is held to commemorate Confucius' birthday at Qufu and at many other Confucian temples.