Taiwan travels: Tainan Confucius Temple

Tainan Confucius Temple was looking as lovely as I remembered it from previous visits this morning, though I doubt that the sage would approve of the attempts to portray a kinder and gentler version of him in the grounds and gift shop.

This was the first Confucius temple to be built in Taiwan. It was established in 1665 during the early Qing dynasty, and in the early years its most important function was as an academy for preparing members of the local elite for the rigorous entrance examination into China’s imperial civil service. Competition was so intense that only a very small percentage of candidates succeeded in the passing the examination. Some scholars and members of the gentry spent all their lives studying for it without ever passing.

As with all Confucius temples, there are no statues or images of the sage here. Instead, the temple houses quite a number of so-called spirit tablets dedicated not just to the sage but also his followers and descendants.

The spirit tablet for Confucius is the centrepiece of the magnificent Dacheng Hall (大成殿) or Hall of Great Achievement. Tablets for three of the most important followers of Confucius, Yan Hui, Zengzi, and Zisi, as well as the sage Mencius, are located in the same building. Ones honouring various generations of Confucius’s descendants can be found in the separate Chongsheng Shrine (崇聖祠).

Tainan Confucius Temple should be the number one item on your list if you ever visit the city, not just for the richness of its history but also the beauty of its architecture and the serenity of its atmosphere.

The temple is open seven days of the week from 8:30am to 5:30pm. An entrance ticket costs NT$70 (around $2.00).