The spirit of Confucius is still alive and well in Taipei

As part of a “revival movement” sponsored by the city government, the Confucius Temple now offers audio-guided tours in four languages: Chinese, English, Japanese, and Korean, said Sh Shu-li, executive secretary of the Taipei Confucius Temple Governing Board.

“Our goal is to develop a cultural park for tourists to get to know more about Confucius and his teachings,” said Sh, citing as examples cultural events like the recently-held international forum on Confucianism that attracted notable scholars from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and Vietnam.

Stepping into the Confucius Temple of Taipei is much like stepping into another world. The temple, designed in a typical southern Fujian Province style, exudes history and is rich with bits of wisdom from the past.

Stories, legends and symbolism abound in every corner of the temple. Although the different buildings and structures that comprise the temple might seem rather simple at first glance, these are deceptively so. A closer look reveals excruciating attention to detail, with a purpose or story behind each.

For example, the Lingxing Gate, or the main entrance, is adorned by a pair of stone columns that are carved seemingly in the shape of dragons.

Closer inspection reveals that the “dragons” are actually composed of different animal parts, like the nose of a bull and the feet of an eagle, according to Lee Min-tzu, an English-speaking tour guide.

Another interesting tidbit is that the carved lions and elephants at the top of some of the columns on the entrance not only serve a decorative purpose, but since they symbolize strength they “help in holding up the heavy roof,” she added with a smile.

The theme of Chinese calligraphy brushes therefore represents the scholarly spirit of the temple, which can be noticed with careful attention to the architecture of the complex. The side entrance itself at the Hong Gate or the “Gate of Learning” has two small stones carved in the shape of brushes, one on each side.

Other such “stone brushes” can be found on the Pan (or “school”) Bridge and even atop columns that line the walls surrounding the temple.

Mythical animals like the “Chilin,” or Chinese unicorn, and dragons are also pervasive throughout the paintings on the gate doors and walls. The Chilin is a beast with the head of a dragon and the body of a horse and is a symbol of good luck and peace.

In contrast to religious temples, Confucius temples have no deities or idols to venerate in accordance with the Teacher’s belief of “respecting the gods and spirits from afar,” not following them blindly, said Lee.

“The Confucius Temple is not a temple in the sense that one can come here and venerate gods. Some people think that because it is called a ‘temple’, there must be deities to revere with the traditional practice of burning incense. That is not the case with Confucius temples. In this regard, the Confucius temples are more like ‘shrines,’” said Lee.

There are, however, tablets honoring the Master as well as his most important followers, including his seventy-seventh generation descendant Kung De-cheng and former President Chiang Kai-shek’s personal plaque inscription “Education for All,” both of which are unique to Taipei’s temple, according to Sh.

There are also ritual objects and ancient musical instruments which are used every year during the Shidian Ceremony on Confucius’ birthday, Sept. 28, which is also Teacher’s Day.

Most peculiar among these instruments is the Yu, a wooden musical instrument in the shape of a tiger with 27 fin-like projections along its back. These are rasped with a slat baton to indicate the end of the music.

The Teacher’s Day ceremony, which starts at 6 a.m., is comprised of 37 stages that are meticulously carried out. Dancers dressed in traditional attire perform the ancient sacrificial rite of the Yi Dance, which is a procession of music and dance featuring the eight tones of ancient music that have been handed down through the dynasties.

There is an Exhibition Room in the temple where visitors can see the musical instruments and costumes used in the Shidian Ceremony, as well as other ritual objects and sacrificial vessels. Also, multilingual films introducing the temple can be watched in the Multimedia Screening Room.

The first Taipei Confucius Temple was built in 1879, under the Qing Dynasty. Since then it has endured many hardships, including years of warfare and lack of funding.

Reconstruction started in its current location in 1925 and completed in 1939.

It was donated to the state in 1971 and the following year, the Taipei Confucius Temple Governing Board under the Civil Affairs Bureau of the city government was established.

Other Confucius temples in Taiwan can be found in Tainan and Kaohsiung. They can also be found in Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, as well as in Europe and the Americas.

The largest and most ancient one is the temple of Qufu in China’s Shandong province, which has expanded over the course of 2,000 years and is located at the original site of Confucius’ home.

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