Confucius Temple

Adjacent to Baoan Temple is Confucius Temple.  The first Taipei Confucius Temple was built in 1879 when the Qing Court changed Taipei into a prefecture of the Province of Fujian, China.  It was established to serve as the largest educational center in northern Taiwan and was the center for Confucian rituals.  After the Sino-Japanese War of 1894, Taiwan was ceded to Japan by treaty, and Japanese troops occupied the temple.  Confucius rites were stopped, the temple gradually fell into disrepair, and many of its musical instruments were destroyed.  The Taipei Confucius Temple was torn down in 1907 to make room for a Japanese School.

Reconstruction of the Confucius Temple started in 1925 thanks in large part from donations from the gentry and merchants and the new temple was completed in 1939.  In 1930, Confucius Ceremony was celebrated in Taipei for the first time in over thirty years.  The Taipei Confucius Temple, situated in the north and faced toward the south, is an architectural construction combining the style of Qufu Confucius Temple (the original Confucius Temple in Qufu, China) and southern Fu Jianese architecture.

Every September 28th, a large number of people from Taiwan and abroad come here to watch a solemn Confucius birthday ceremony and eight-row dance.  The national government has also declared it ‘Teacher’s Day.’  The ceremony starts at 6am.  In the main ritual, the attendants go to their appointed places, welcome the spirit of Confucius, perform three sacrificial rites, offer the sacrifices and wine, see off the spirit of the sage, and burn spirit money.

The complex was beautiful and it was a gorgeous day.  The complex contained gates, entrances, halls, walls, ponds, bridges, paintings, columns, doors, shrines, rooms, tablets, altars, plaques, platforms, objects, musical instruments, visitor center, exhibition room, multimedia room, and gift shop.  Am I missing anything???  I had read a book on Confucius beforehand so I was excited to see this temple as now I’m a big fan of his.  I was able to obtain a couple pamphlets which are informative and explain the various halls, gates, etc.  I spent maybe an hour and half here and probably could have easily spent a half-day.  I just didn’t have enough time.  I only had two full days in Taipei and there was still much to see.  But in just a little over half a day, I was able to see the National Palace Museum, Baoan Temple, and Confucius Temple so I was off to a good start…