Tainan 台南 | Tainan Confucius Temple 台南孔子廟

The Layout of Tainan Confucius Temple

Tainan Confucius Temple has undergone several major renovations over the past three centuries. It is one of the finest examples of traditional architecture in Taiwan, as well as the most complete traditional Minnan (Southern China) architectural complex in Tainan.

It is composed of an academy on the left and a temple on the right. The temple layout consists three rows of buildings joined by two long wings running front to back to create two interior courtyard areas. The first row includes the Da Cheng Gate (大城門), the Shrine of Distinguished Officials (名宦祠), the Shrine of Respected Village Scholars (鄉賢祠), the Shrine of Bereaved Sons (孝子祠) and the Shrine of Fidelity and Piety (節孝祠).

The middle row of buildings includes Da Cheng Palace (大城殿), which houses a memorial tablet in commemoration of Confucius. The wings on either side of the palace are dedicated to eighty-one ancient sages and seventy-seven ancient Confucians.

The Ritual Implement Storeroom (禮器庫) and the Musical Instrument Storeroom (樂器庫) are located to the north of the East and West Wings (東廡、西廡). Implements and instruments used in Confucian rites are stored in these two locations.

Behind the palace is Chung Sheng Shrine (崇聖祠). It is an open hall with eighteen columns supporting a swallowtail gable roof. The main shrine is dedicated to five generations of Confucius’ ancestors.

Flanking the shrine are Yi Cheng School (以成書院) and the Storehouse of Books and Records (典籍庫). Located on the other side of the larger complex, the academy consists of the Hall of Edification (明倫堂) and the Pavilion of the God of Literature (文昌閣).

It also includes the Pan Gong Arch (泮宮坊) to the east and the Pan Pool (泮池) to the south. The Gate of Rites (禮門), the Path of Righteousness (義路), the Da Cheng Arche (大成坊), and the half-moon wall are on the periphery.

The entire complex has an area of more than 9,000 square meters and is comprised of a total of fifteen buildings. It has the highest number of buildings of any Confucian temple in Taiwan.

The Pan Gong Arch 泮宮坊 (Pan Gong Fang)

Built in 1777, The Stone Arch is called ‘Pan Gong’. It means a higher learning institution. The stone arch used to be the first entrance to the Confucius Temple. With the implementation of the revised 1916- 17 urban plan for Tainan City during Japanese colonial period, Saiwaicho (today's Nanmen Road) was built and Pan Gong Arch was moved to its current location, which is at the entrance of Fuzhong Street.

Dismounting Stele 下馬碑 (Xia Ma Bei)

At the entrance to the temple stands a dismounting stele. The oldest and best-preserved dismounting stele of the four remaining in Taiwan, it was placed at the entrance on imperial orders in 1687, bestowing legitimacy upon the academy. The presence of the stele also represents respect for Confucius.

The Hall of Edification 明倫堂 (Ming Lun Tang)

Hall of Edification was the most common name for Confucian lecture halls, as edification was the foundation of Confucianism. These halls were used as classrooms in Qing dynasty prefectural schools. Students were expected to study Confucian ethics and virtues, as well as human relationships under the patriarchal system. Inside the hall is a horizontal stone tablet (臥碑) inscribed with school rules, from the days when it served as a center for Confucian studies.

the scripts of ancient literature Da Xueh (aka Great Learning 大學) is written on the wall. The theme of the book is the ordering of society through self-cultivation of the individual.

Here is the translation and its original Chinese script.

The Way of great learning consists in manifesting one's bright virtue, consists in loving the people, and consists in stopping in perfect goodness. When you know where to stop, you have stability. When you have stability, you can be tranquil. When you are peaceful, you can be at ease. When you are at ease, you can deliberate. When you can deliberate, you can attain your aims. Things have their roots and branches; affairs have their end and beginning. When you know what comes first and what comes last, then you are near the Way.

The ancients, who wanted to manifest their bright virtue to all in the world, first governed well their own states. Wanting to govern their states well, they first harmonized their own clans. Wanting to harmonize their own clan, they first cultivated themselves. Wanting to cultivate themselves, they first corrected their minds. Wanting to correct their minds, they first made their wills sincere. Wanting to make their wills sincere, they first extended their knowledge. The extension of knowledge consists of the investigation of things. When things are investigated, knowledge is extended. When knowledge is extended, the will becomes sincere. When the will is sincere, the mind is correct. When the mind is correct, the self is cultivated. When the self is cultivated, the clan is harmonized. When the clan is harmonized, the country is well governed. When the country is well governed, there will be peace throughout the land.

From the king down to the ordinary people, all must regard the cultivation of the self as the essential thing. It is impossible to have a situation wherein the essentials are in disorder, and the externals are well-managed. You cannot take the vital things as superficial and the superficial things as essential. This is called "Knowing the root." This is called "The extension of knowledge."

大學之道．在明明德．在親民．在止於至善．知止而後有定．定而後能靜．靜而後能安．安而後能慮．慮而後能得．物有本末．事有終始．知所先後．則近道矣．

古之欲明明德於天下者．先治其國．欲治其國者．先齊其家．欲齊其家者．先修其身．欲修其身者．先正其心．欲正其心者．先誠其意．欲誠其意者．先致其知．致知在格物．物格而後知至．知至而後意誠．意誠而後心正．心正而後身修．身修而後家齊．家齊而後國治．國治而後天下平．

自天子以至於庶人．壹是皆以修身為本．其本亂而末治者否矣．其所厚者薄．而其所薄者厚．未之有也．