The Taipei Confucius Temple is a Southern Fujian-style temple completed in 1939 that honours Confucius with the traditional rites and architectural conventions that have been practised across the Chinese world for over 2,000 years. The temple is distinguished by its absence of images — unlike Buddhist and Taoist temples, Confucian temples contain no statues of deities, reflecting Confucius's emphasis on ethics and education over religious worship. The annual Teacher's Day ceremony (September 28, Confucius's birthday) features a full performance of the ancient Eight Row Dance (bāyì wǔ) that has been performed in Confucian temples since the Han Dynasty.
The temple sits adjacent to the Dalongdong Baoan Temple (a Taoist temple from 1805 that won the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award for its restoration), and the two together provide a paired experience of Confucian and Taoist architecture within 50 metres of each other.
Verified Facts
The Taipei Confucius Temple was completed in 1939
Confucian temples contain no statues of deities
Teacher's Day on September 28 features the ancient Eight Row Dance
The adjacent Baoan Temple won a UNESCO Heritage Award
Get walking directions
No. 275, Dalong Street, Datong District, Taipei
