The constellation is above the apricot altar.

The allusion of "Xingtan" comes from a fable of Zhuangzi. In that fable, Zhuangzi said that Confucius called his disciples to give lectures everywhere, and wherever he went, he gave lectures in Xinglin. When resting, sit on the apricot altar. Later, according to Zhuangzi's fable, people called the "Xingtan" the place where Confucius gave lectures, and also the place where people gathered to give lectures. Later, people built altars, pavilions, monuments and apricots in front of Dacheng Hall of Confucius Temple in Qufu, Shandong Province. In the Northern Song Dynasty, descendants of Confucius built altars and planted apricot trees in Qufu ancestral hall, hence the name "Apricot Altar".

Xingtan is a glorious symbol of Confucius' education. It is located in the middle of the tunnel in front of Dacheng Hall and is said to be the place where Confucius gave lectures. There is an ancient cypress beside the altar, which is called "the cypress planted by Master". Zhu Lan around Xingtan is surrounded by mountains, crossed with ridges, two layers of yellow tile cornices and double half arches. There are well-carved algae wells and painted golden panlong in the pavilion, among which Qingganlong's "Xingtanzan" imperial tablet. Stone incense burner in front of the pavilion, about 1 m high, is a relic of the Jin Dynasty. The altar was built in the Song Dynasty and surrounded by apricot trees, hence its name. Jin dynasty also built pavilions on the altar. Reconstruction in the late Ming Dynasty, which is today's apricot altar.

In 522 BC, at the age of 30, Confucius began to establish mass education and accept lectures from his disciples, in order to help the crumbling temples and change the reality of "ritual collapse and bad music". Confucius' educational thought is people-oriented, and "education has no class": regardless of wealth, dignity, age, nationality and eclecticism. On this day, Confucius' small courtyard was very lively. Confucius led a group of teenagers to build an altar and moved a small ginkgo tree to plant next to it. Confucius stroked the ginkgo tree and said, "Ginkgo is full of fruits, which symbolizes disciples all over the world. The trunk stands upright and never escapes sideways, symbolizing the integrity of the disciples. Nuts can be eaten and used as medicine to treat diseases, symbolizing that disciples can benefit the country and the people after their studies. Let's name this forum Xingtan! " From then on, Confucius gave lectures at Xingtan every day, and disciples from all directions gathered.