T'aipei
The Confucious Temple
The Taipei Confucian Temple is right across Talung Street. This temple honors one of the greatest philosophers and teachers of all time, Confucius. The Confucius Temple is an embodiment of Confucian culture in architecture. Of the approximately thirty Confucian temples of varying sizes in Taiwan, the Tainan Confucius Temple is one of the most breath-taking and representative. This temple was founded in the Ming dynasty. Its main structures include the Ta Cheng Hall, Ten Thousand Fathom Wall, Pan Pond, Ling Hsing Gate, Gate of Rites, Sage Worship Altar, Ming Lun Hall, Chu Tze Alter, Kui Hsing Gate (after the God of Literature), and the Wu Sheng Shrine. Situated between the two sets of steps leading up to the main hall is an inclined stone face upon which is a relief carving of a dragon. This is called the "imperial way," and in the old days it was for the emperor and the gods alone to use when they entered the hall. No ordinary mortal would dare step here.
Ikonos imagery of the Confucius Temple. (Source: Space Imaging, 21 October 1999)
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