Taiwan’s first Confucius temple hosts birthday rite

Staff writer, with CNA





The Confucius Temple in southern Tainan, Taiwan’s first temple dedicated to Confucius, held a ceremony to celebrate the birthday of the Chinese politician and philosopher yesterday, which was Teacher’s Day in Taiwan.

The ceremony, which began at 5am and is held every year, marked the birth of Confucius 2,569 years ago and followed an ancient tradition that has remained unchanged for more than 2,000 years, the temple’s cultural foundation said.

Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) presided over the ritual while hundreds of people looked on.

Students perform a ceremony to mark the 2,569th birthday of Confucius during a Teachers’ Day event at the Confucius Temple in Tainan yesterday. Photo: CNA

One of the rites was a formation dance in which 36 children lined up in six rows and six columns to pay respect to Confucius.

The Confucius Temple in Tainan is the only institution in Taiwan that still practices the tradition of offering three animal sacrifices — a goat, a pig and an ox — to worship Confucius, the foundation said, adding that other Confucius temples present the three sacrifices, but replace the animals with pastry in animal shapes.

However, the practice of plucking the hair around the eyes and ears of the sacrificed ox, a folk custom thought to provide wisdom, was canceled, it said.

Pingtung County Commissioner Pan Men-an, fourth left, yesterday poses for a picture with foreign students participating in celebrations of the 2,569th birthday of Confucius at the Confucius Temple in Pingtung City. Photo: Courtesy of the Pingtung County Government

It is not safe for visitors to enter the building where the sacrifices were held, because it suffered structural damage in an earthquake three years ago, the foundation said, adding that maintenance on the building is expected to be completed next year.

Confucius is regarded as a role model for teachers.

Tainan’s Confucius Temple, built in 1666, is the first temple dedicated to Confucius in Taiwan and has been restored more than 30 times because of damage caused by wars or natural disasters, according to the Tourism Bureau.