Confucius

By worldly measures, Confucius's life was not a success. He was born in the state of Lu at the close of the Spring and Autumn period; he lost his father young, grew up poor, and found his footing through relentless study. In middle age he spent fourteen years traveling from state to state, promoting a political vision built on benevolence, righteousness, and propriety — and met closed doors everywhere he went, for not a single ruler truly put him to use.

In his later years he returned to Lu and did the one thing that would echo for two thousand years: he taught. He took in three thousand disciples, seventy-two of them sages, and edited the Six Classics. Confucius died in 479 BC at the age of seventy-three. The teacher who went unappreciated in life was raised up by one dynasty after another after his death, from 'King of Culture' to 'Great Sage and First Teacher of Great Completion.'

In 1665, Zheng Jing built Taiwan's first official Confucius temple in Tainan; and during the Japanese colonial era, under the pressure of a foreign culture, Taiwanese gentry insisted on keeping the rites to Confucius alive. A man who met walls everywhere in life became teacher to an entire civilization — his story is itself the finest proof that education can change the world.

Worshipping Confucius is nothing like worshipping the other gods: no offerings, no incense, no spirit money. You simply bow three times before his spirit tablet in the temple hall. This is the Confucian spirit of 'reverence without petition' — you honor the teacher rather than beg him for miracles. Students and parents often come before major exams to pray for academic success, and reciting a passage from the Analects suits the occasion well.

For spectacle, time your visit to the grand Confucius ceremony: around Teachers' Day on September 28, temples perform the Shidian rite, complete with the welcoming of the spirit, the three offerings, and the stately rows of ceremonial dancers. The 'wisdom cake' handed out afterward symbolizes a share of Confucius's wisdom and is the most coveted keepsake of all — for a student facing exams, a single piece is more reassuring than any protective charm.

Confucius's birthday is marked twice over: September 28 on the solar calendar, which is Taiwan's official Teachers' Day, and the 27th day of the 8th lunar month by older tradition. The Confucius temples in Tainan, Taipei, and Changhua hold the Shidian Ceremony, among the largest traditional rites still performed anywhere in Taiwan.

At the heart of the ceremony is the Yi dance, performed in six rows of six (36 dancers) or eight rows of eight (64), accompanied by ancient court music. Taipei and Tainan preserve the most complete versions of this tradition.

Around the national entrance exams, families and whole schools come in groups to pray for good results. It is the most visible remnant of a scholarly tradition in which honoring the sage and seeking knowledge are the same gesture.

Some temples add cultural programs around Teachers' Day: recitations from the Analects, calligraphy competitions, and a chance to try on traditional scholar's dress.