Temple of Confucius

Not to be confused with Confucian church.

Temple of Confucius
Kohsiung Confucian Temple in Taiwan.
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	孔廟
Simplified Chinese	孔庙
Literal meaning	Temple of Confucius (Kong)
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Kǒngmiào
Temple of Literature
Traditional Chinese	文廟
Simplified Chinese	文庙
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Wénmiào Southern Min Hokkien POJ Bûn-biō
Temple of the Sage
Traditional Chinese	聖廟
Simplified Chinese	圣庙
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Shèngmiào Southern Min Hokkien POJ Sèng-biō
Temple of the Master
Traditional Chinese	夫子廟
Simplified Chinese	夫子庙
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Fūzi miào
Temple of Study
Traditional Chinese	學廟
Simplified Chinese	学庙
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Xuémiào
Palace of Study
Traditional Chinese	學宮
Simplified Chinese	学宫
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Xuégōng
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese alphabet	Văn Miếu Văn Thánh Miếu
Chữ Hán	文廟 文聖廟
Literal meaning	Temple of (the Sage of) Literature
Korean name
Hangul	문묘 공자묘
Hanja	文廟 孔子廟
Literal meaning	Temple of Literature Temple of Confucius
Transcriptions Revised Romanization Munmyo Kongja myo
Japanese name
Kanji	聖廟 聖堂
Transcriptions Romanization Seibyō Seidō
Indonesian name
Indonesian	Boen Bio
Manchu name
Manchu script	ᡴᡠᠩᡶᡠᡯ ᡳ ᠮᡠᡴᡨᡝᡥᡝᠨ
Möllendorff	Kungfudzi-i muktehen

A temple of Confucius or Confucian temple is a place of worship where people show respect to Confucius and other people of Confucianism. Confucianism is a folk religion in China and other countries in East Asia and Southeast Asia. Its history is more than 2,500 years.

In the past, these temples were where the imperial examination happened. This was in China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. They often included schools and other places for studying.

The birthplace of Confucius is Qufu, Shandong. The city has a large and famous temple of Confucius. Inside is a very tall statue (72 meters) made of brass and strengthened with steel. This temple is the biggest and oldest Confucius temple in the world. It has also been a UNESCO world heritage site since 1994.

Names

The temples have many different names in East and Southeast Asia. The most important ones in Qufu and Beijing are now called "Temples of Confucius" in Chinese (Kǒngmiào, 孔廟). In some places, they are called "Temples of Literature" (文廟) (Chinese: wénmiào; Vietnamese: văn miếu; Korean: munmyo; Indonesian: boen bio) or "Temples of the Sage of Literature" (Vietnamese: văn thánh miếu). In Southern China, temples with these names usually honor Wenchang Wang, a different deity linked to the scholar Zhang Yazi. In Japan, they are often known as "Temples" or "Halls of the Sage" (Japanese: seibyō or seidō).

History

Historical plan of the Temple of Confucius at Qufu, 1912.

People built temples to honor Confucius as he became more popular. In 195 BC, Han Gao Zu, who started the Han dynasty, paid respects to Confucius at his tomb in Qufu. People started to worship Confucius and his disciple Yan Hui at the Imperial University around 241.

Japanese painting of Confucius, by Kanō Sansetsu. From a folio depicting various Confucian figures.

In 454, the Liu Song dynasty in southern China built an important state Confucian temple. By 489, the Northern Wei built another Confucian temple in the capital, beyond Qufu in the north. In 630, the Tang dynasty said schools had to have Confucian temples across provinces and counties. After thism they spread throughout China. There are famous Confucian shrines in Jianshui, Xi'an (now the Forest of Steles), Nanjing's Fuzi Miao, and Beijing which was first started in 1302. The old Confucian Temple in Tianjin, near Traditional Culture Street, covers 32 acres. It is the largest group of traditional architecture buildings still left in Tianjin.

Main hall of Temple of Confucius in Qufu, the oldest Confucian temple in the world.

The biggest and oldest Temple of Confucius is in Qufu, Shandong Province of China. This is where Confucius was born. Duke Ai of the State of Lu ordered its creation in 479 BC, a year after Confucius died. The temple grew larger over more than 2,000 years. It became the huge place it is today. There is also another temple in Quzhou. As well as Confucian temples linked to the state, there were ancestral temples for the Kong lineage, buildings to remember what Confucius' did in the country, and private temples within educational institutions.

Design of temples

The gates of the Temple of Confucius in Datong, Shanxi.

Starting from the Tang dynasty (618–907), people built Confucian temples in schools across the empire. They built these temples at the front or on the side of the schools. The front gate of a temple is called the Lingxing Gate. Inside, there were usually three courtyards, but sometimes only two. However, the Qufu complex has nine courtyards with many stone slabs commemorating visits by emperors or imperial noblemen to Confucius' descendants. The main building is called the Dachengdian, translated as "Hall of Great Achievement", "Hall of Great Completion," or "Hall of Great Perfection". It is in the inner courtyard. People go inside through the Dachengmen. In imperial China, these halls housed the Spirit Tablets of Confucius and other important sages. In front of the Dachengdian in Qufu is the Apricot Pavilion or Xingtan. Another important building behind the main one is the Shrine of Adoring the Sage. It honors Confucius' ancestors and the fathers of the Four Correlates and Twelve Philosophers.

The Dachengdian Hall of Temple of Confucius, Qufu.

Confucian temples, unlike Taoist or Buddhist ones, usually do not have statues. In the early years of the Qufu temple, the spirits of Confucius and his disciples were shown in wall paintings. Official temples had images of Confucius, but some did not like this as it copied Buddhist temples. The focus was argued to be on honoring Confucius's teachings rather than the man himself.

Spirit tablets of paternal ancestors of Confucius in the Tainan Confucius Temple in Taiwan.

To solve the lack of uniformity in Confucius statues, Emperor Taizu of the Ming dynasty ordered that new Confucian temples should only have spirit tablets and no statues. In 1530, it was decided that existing images of Confucius in imperial temples should be replaced with spirit tablets. However, many modern Confucian temples still have statues, especially those run by Confucius's family descendants, like the one in Qufu.

Practice of worship

Musicians at a Confucian ceremony in Munmyo Shrine, South Korea.

Confucian worship mainly means offering sacrifices to Confucius's spirit at the Confucian temple.

A dance called the Eight-Row Dance, which used to be the Six-Row Dance, is danced at these temples. The dance has eight columns of eight dancers each. It was granted to Confucius in 1477 as an imperial honor, given the title of king after his death. The accompanying musicians play yayue music.

Apart from honoring Confucius, Confucian temples also pay tribute to the "Four Correlates", the "Twelve Philosophers", and other disciples and scholars of Confucianism in history. The number of people and people worshipped changed over time. This lead to controversy over which Confucians to enshrine. By the 20th century, there were 162 figures worshipped, including the Four Correlates (Yan Hui, Zeng Shen, Kong Ji, and Mencius) and the Twelve Philosophers.

Temples outside China

As Confucian teachings spread across East Asia, temples made for Confucius were built in Vietnam, Korea, and Japan. From the 18th century onwards, some temples even appeared in Europe and the Americas. At its peak, there were more than 3,000 Confucian temples globally.

In Korea

Gimje Hyanggyo Daeseongjeon (Confucian shrine) in South Korea.

The highest number of Confucian temples outside China can be found in Korea. These temples, often linked to schools, first started during the Goryeo period (918–1392). Confucianism gained prominence in the Joseon dynasty, leading to the establishment of government Confucian schools (Hanggyo 항교) for training officials. These schools included teaching buildings and a memorial tablet house called Daesongjeon 대성전. While inspired by Chinese models, Korea introduced variations, such as building schools in front of temples. Korea also added its own scholars, the eighteen scholars of the East, to the Confucian pantheon (the five sages).

In Korea's history, there were 362 Confucian temples. After World War II and the division of the country, those in the North transformed into centers of traditional culture (Gukjagam). Some of the 232 temples in the South continued their activities. Alongside Confucianism-focused temples, the Republic of Korea also has twelve Confucian family temples, two temples in private schools, and three libraries.

In Taiwan

Interior of Taipei Confucius Temple in Taiwan.

The first Confucian temple in Taiwan was the Taiwan Confucian Temple, built in Tainan in 1665 during the Tungning Kingdom. Another temple, the Taipei Confucius Temple, was constructed in Taipei in 1879, demolished in 1907, and rebuilt on Dalong Street from 1925 to 1939. Designed by Wang Yi-Shun, the new temple follows the typical Fujian temple style. Every year, on September 28, Confucius's birthday, the Shidian Ceremony takes place. There's also a Confucian temple in Zuoying District, Kaohsiung, completed in 1974 in the Northern Song architectural style. Additional Confucian temples are in Chiayi City, Taipei, Taichung, and Changhua County.

In Japan

In Japan, Confucian temples (kōshi-byō) were commonly constructed, often alongside Confucian schools. The Yushima Seidō, established in 1630 during the Edo period, is the most famous. At first it was a private school linked to the Neo-Confucianist scholar Hayashi Razan. Originally in Shinobi-ga-oka in Ueno, it was later moved to near present-day Ochanomizu by the Tokugawa Shogunate. The Shogunate also established a significant state-sponsored school, Shoheikō, on its grounds.

In Vietnam

Temple of literature in Hanoi, Vietnam.

In Vietnam, a Confucian temple is known as Văn Miếu. The earliest recorded Văn Miếu is in Hanoi, established in 1070 during the Lý dynasty. Starting from 1397, Confucian temples, including the renowned Văn Miếu in Hưng Yên City, spread across Vietnam with the construction of schools during the Tran dynasty.

In Indonesia

Confucian temples are also in Indonesia, known as "Churches of Confucius". Confucianism is a recognized religion in the country. The largest and oldest is Boen Bio temple in Surabaya, initially constructed in the city's Chinatown in 1883 and later moved in 1907. Reportedly, there are over 100 Confucianist halls of worship across Indonesia.

In Malaysia

The first Confucian temple in Malaysia was built within the Chung Hwa Confucian School in Penang in the early 20th century. This school, started by the Qing dynasty ambassador to the British Straits Settlement at the time, later split into SJK(C) Chung Hwa Confucian A, B, and SMJK Chung Hwa Confucian. Parents brought their children to this temple for prayers before starting school, seeking excellence in studies.

Kuala Lumpur has two Confucian schools, SMJK Confucian and Confucian Private School, along with a Confucian school in Malacca, where ceremonies in honor of Confucius happen yearly.