The Taipei Confucius Temple () is a Confucian temple in Datong District, Taipei, Taiwan.

History

Qing Dynasty

The Taipei Confucius Temple was built in 1879 during the Qing era, after Taipeh Prefecture was established in 1875.

Empire of Japan

During the Japanese era, the temple was demolished, but was rebuilt in 1930 by . The newly completed temple had only been in use for a few years when World War II broke out. The Japanese ordered an end to traditional Chinese ceremonies, and

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

ese Shinto ritual music was played in the temple for a brief period until 1945 when Taiwan was handed over from Japan to the

Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...

Republic of China

After the handover of Taiwan from Japan to the

in 1945, the temple was temporarily used to house the Examination Yuan until 1951 when the office was moved to

Muzha District Muzha/Mucha () was a district in Taipei City, Taiwan. The name refers to wooden fences built in the region to defend against attacks by Taiwanese aborigines. In 1990, it merged with Jingmei District and become eastern parts of new created Wenshan ...

. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, visitors to the temple are required to maintain social distance and their numbers are regulated to ensure safety.

Architecture

The temple is modeled after the original Confucius Temple in Qufu,

Shandong Shandong ( , ; ; alternately romanized as Shantung) is a coastal province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the East China region. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilizati ...

. Among the Confucius temples in Taiwan, Taipei's is the only one adorned with southern Fujian-style ceramic adornments. At the main hall of the temple one can see a black plaque with gold lettering which was inscribed by

Chiang Kai-shek Chiang Kai-shek (31 October 1887 – 5 April 1975), also known as Chiang Chung-cheng and Jiang Jieshi, was a Chinese Nationalist politician, revolutionary, and military leader who served as the leader of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1928 ...

that reads "Educate without Discrimination." The temple features 4D theater which showcases the journey of Confucius and the history of the temple.

Events

Every year on September 28, a ceremony with traditional music and stylized dancing is held at the temple in honor of Confucius. The temple is also the place where students, accompanied by their parents, pay a visit before their college entrance exam to seek for blessing.

Transportation

The temple is accessible within walking distance West from

Yuanshan Station Yuanshan () is a metro station in Taipei, Taiwan served by Taipei Metro. It is a station on the . There was a station of the same name on the now-defunct Tamsui railway line. Station overview The two-level, elevated station structure with one ...

of the Taipei Metro.

References

External links

{{Commons category
Confucius Temple website
1879 establishments in Taiwan Confucian temples in Taiwan Religious buildings and structures completed in 1879 Temples in Taipei