There is a well-known claim that the Forbidden City, the largest imperial palace complex, contains 9,999 and a half rooms, and that the largest mandarin estate, namely the Mansion of Confucius’ Descendants in Qufu, supposedly comprised 999 and a half rooms.
Mencius, also known by his birth name Meng Ke or Ko, was born in the State of Zou, now forming the territory of the county-level city of Zoucheng (originally Zouxian), Shandong province, only thirty kilometres (eighteen miles) south of Qufu, Confucius' birthplace.