A Brief Analysis of the Evolution of Spatial Construction in Confucian Temples from the Perspective of Spirit of Place: A Case Study of Zhengzhou Confucian Temple

During China's feudal era, local Confucian temples were essential for ritual worship and moral teaching. Zhengzhou Confucian Temple is a prime example in the Central Plains. Using the idea of place spirit as its analytical framework, this study establishes a paradigm to investigate the relationship between form and spirit. It methodically examines the temple's spatial design development by analyzing its architectural design and spatial features across historical periods. The study concludes that the temple's space arrangement continuously followed the core idea of "integration of temple and academy," tracing three stages: the Yuan dynasty's establishment of Confucian orthodoxy, the Ming's strengthening of the imperial examination system, and the Qing's restructuring of cultural identity. To clarify the relationship between the development of social educational place spirit and architectural aesthetics embodied by the temple, it analyzes changes in spiritual connotations within the distinctive cultural and architectural aesthetic context of the Central Plains, focusing on the unique value of the fusion between "ritual order" and "Central Plains regional characteristics." This study offers a theoretical reference for restoring historical buildings while preserving place spirit, and a fresh deconstructive perspective for research on Confucian temple architecture in the region.