Tainan Confucius Temple
Main Deities
About
Above the East Dacheng Gate hangs a plaque reading 'Quan Tai Shou Xue' — the First School in All Taiwan. The Tainan Confucius Temple was Taiwan's first Confucian temple and the seat of the Taiwan Prefectural School in the Qing dynasty, and those four characters sum up its standing. Set in Tainan's West Central District, it follows the traditional plan of 'school on the left, temple on the right,' with grand and solemn buildings. It is not a Taoist temple, yet it carries great weight in Taiwan's folk belief and cultural heritage. Every year on September 28, Confucius' birthday, the Shidian ceremony is still held according to ancient rites, with young dancers (yisheng) performing the six-row (liuyi) dance — a stop not to be missed for anyone wanting to get close to Chinese culture and Confucian thought.
History
In 1665, the nineteenth year of the Ming Yongli reign, Zheng Jing took the advice of his counselor Chen Yonghua and built this Confucian temple in Taiwan. The aim was simple: to spread learning and cultivate talent in this newly opened land. In the Qing dynasty, the Kangxi Emperor bestowed the plaque 'Wan Shi Shi Biao' (Model Teacher for All Ages), and through many rounds of expansion and repair the temple reached the scale it has today. During the Japanese era it was used as a garrison post and a public school, and in 1945 it was damaged in air raids. Today it is a National Monument and the center of Confucian culture in Taiwan.
Tainan Confucius Temple
West Central District, Tainan City
Visitor Info
Address
No. 2, Nanmen Rd, West Central District, Tainan City
Region
West Central District, Tainan City
Plan Your Visit
- Hours
- Daily 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
- When to Go
- The Shidian ceremony on Teachers' Day, September 28, each year follows ancient rites, with young dancers (yisheng) performing the six-row (liuyi) dance, and it is the day most worth coming.
Checked on 2026-10-13 · Sources: Google Maps