Confucius Temple

The Temple of Confucius is one of Taiwan’s oldest temples, and the very first architectural monument dedicated to the great sage of ancient China. This temple is a majestic building with a difficult history, located in the center of Tainan, and is one of the main attractions.

The first building of the temple was built in 1665 by the son of the legendary Chinese commander Zheng Cheng-Gong. The construction of the temple was financed by ordinary people. It is noteworthy that initially the temple was not conceived as a monument to Confucius and his teachings, but was built as an ordinary building. And only later this building received the status of a monument of Confucianism. This temple was the first educational institution in Taiwan.

When Taiwan came under Japanese rule, a magnificent temple was destroyed and a school was built in its place. The restoration of the temple architecture took place only in 1920, under the leadership of an architect named Shi Fu Lai. The newly rebuilt temple began to hold annual celebrations of the birthday of Confucius, but during the Second World War, the Confucian temple was closed by order of the Japanese.

The status of a national monument returned to the Temple of Confucius only after the final liberation of Taiwan. Now the territory of the temple complex is divided into two parts, one of which is a school, the other – the temple itself. Once a year, on September 28, Confucius Memorial Day is held on its territory, dedicated to his birthday. This bright and interesting ceremony attracts not only followers of Confucianism, but also tourists from all over the world.