Confucius

By worldly standards, Confucius's life wasn't a success. Born in the state of Lu late in the Spring and Autumn period, he lost his father young and grew up poor, finding his footing through hard study. In middle age he spent fourteen years traveling from state to state, urging rulers to adopt his political ideals of benevolence, righteousness, and propriety — and was turned away everywhere. Not one ruler truly put him to use.

In his later years he returned to Lu and did something that would shape two thousand years: he taught. He had three thousand disciples, seventy-two of them outstanding, and compiled the Six Classics — the Odes, the Documents, the Rites, Music, the Changes, and the Spring and Autumn Annals. Confucius died in 479 BC at the age of 73. The teacher who never got his chance in life was honored after death by emperor after emperor, from 'King of Culture' to 'Great Accomplished Most Holy Former Teacher.'

In 1665, Zheng Jing built Taiwan's first government-run Confucius temple in Tainan. During the Japanese colonial era, the Confucius ceremony at the Tainan temple was suspended for a time, and was revived during the Kominka period by Tainan's mayor Hatori Matao. A man rebuffed wherever he went in life became the teacher of an entire cultural world after his death — Confucius's own story is the best proof that education can change the world.

Honoring Confucius is completely different from worshipping other gods: no offerings, no incense, no joss paper. Just bow three times before Confucius's sacred tablet at the temple. This reflects the Confucian spirit of 'reverence without petition' — you honor the teacher rather than asking him for miracles. Students and parents often come before big exams to pray for academic success for themselves or their children, and reciting a passage from the Analects is fitting too.

For the full spectacle, come for the Confucius ceremony: every year around Teachers' Day (September 28), Confucius temples hold the Shidian ceremony, with the welcoming of the spirit, the three offerings, and solemn yi dances. The 'wisdom cakes' handed out after the ceremony symbolize sharing in Confucius's wisdom and are the most sought-after keepsake — for a student about to take an exam, one of these is more reassuring than any amulet.

Confucius's Birthday (Teachers' Day): September 28 on the Gregorian calendar (the official Teachers' Day); the 27th day of the eighth lunar month (the traditional commemoration). The Tainan Confucius Temple, the Taipei Confucius Temple, and the Changhua Confucius Temple, among others, hold grand 'Shidian ceremonies,' among the largest traditional sacrificial rites in Taiwan.

Yi dance performances: the traditional ritual dance in six rows of six (thirty-six dancers) or eight rows of eight (sixty-four dancers) is the heart of the Confucius ceremony.

Around major exam seasons: every year before and after the big exams (the General Scholastic Ability Test, the Comprehensive Assessment Program for junior high students, and the Advanced Subjects Test), Taiwanese families and schools organize group visits to Confucius temples to pray for success. It is a concrete expression of the Taiwanese scholarly tradition of 'revering the sage and seeking knowledge.'

Confucian cultural events: some Confucius temples hold Analects recitations, calligraphy contests, and traditional dress experiences around Teachers' Day and cultural festivals — good occasions to see how traditional culture is promoted in Taiwan.