TAINAN, March 20 (Xinhua) -- The Confucius Temple in the city of Tainan, southern Taiwan, held its annual spring sacrifice ceremony on Friday, a traditional rite paying homage to Confucius, the ancient Chinese philosopher and educator who founded Confucianism.
As the drumbeat sounded at dawn, dozens of performers dressed in Qing-Dynasty (1644-1911) court attire slowly processed into the Dacheng Hall to begin the ritual, which saw some 20 procedural steps.
The performance featured music and dance performed by pupils from a local primary school, while the temple's Qing-style musical and dance traditions were carried out according to a 1930s manual based on field research in Shandong Province in the Chinese mainland, the birthplace of Confucius, said Fang Cheng-po, the ceremony's chief master of rites.
Fang, who has nearly 30 years of experience as a master of ceremonies, noted that the event is a family legacy, with five generations of his family having participated and two of his sons joining the ceremony this year.
"In addition to teaching and educating people, the Chinese traditional culture is also about cultivating a sense of morality -- propriety, righteousness, integrity and a sense of shame -- and regulating social etiquette," said Fang. "The ceremony can serve as a basis for Confucian education in Taiwan's schools."
The performing pupils come from Tainan Municipal Jhongyi Elementary School, located next to the Confucius Temple. The school regularly engages students in temple rituals and educational activities to cultivate a deeper understanding of Confucian culture.
Hong Ko-chao, a retired teacher who serves as head instructor for the student dancers, said participation is popular among pupils. "This will help them foster good conduct in daily life."
The ceremony drew over 100 attendees, including foreign visitors. A German tourist who rose early to attend said she had heard of Confucius in Germany and found the ritual fascinating after seeing the preparations during her earlier visit to the temple.
Confucianism was introduced to Taiwan with large-scale migration some 400 years ago. Taiwan's first Confucius Temple was established in Tainan in 1666. Today, there are more than 40 Confucius temples across the island.
Besides the spring sacrifice ceremony, the Confucius Temple in Tainan also observes an autumn sacrifice on Confucius' birthday.
A staff member of the temple said they plan more cultural programs there to integrate Confucian heritage into everyday life and deepen public engagement with traditional culture. ■
