Temple of Confucius

Temple of Confucius
Kohsiung Confucian Temple in Taiwan.
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	孔廟
Simplified Chinese	孔庙
Literal meaning	Temple of Confucius (Kong)
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Kǒngmiào
Temple of Literature
Traditional Chinese	文廟
Simplified Chinese	文庙
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Wénmiào Southern Min Hokkien POJ Bûn-biō
Temple of the Sage
Traditional Chinese	聖廟
Simplified Chinese	圣庙
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Shèngmiào Southern Min Hokkien POJ Sèng-biō
Temple of the Master
Traditional Chinese	夫子廟
Simplified Chinese	夫子庙
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Fūzi miào
Temple of Study
Traditional Chinese	學廟
Simplified Chinese	学庙
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Xuémiào
Palace of Study
Traditional Chinese	學宮
Simplified Chinese	学宫
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Xuégōng
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese alphabet	Văn Miếu Văn Thánh Miếu
Chữ Hán	文廟 文聖廟
Literal meaning	Temple of (the Sage of) Literature
Korean name
Hangul	문묘 공자묘
Hanja	文廟 孔子廟
Literal meaning	Temple of Literature Temple of Confucius
Transcriptions Revised Romanization Munmyo Kongja myo
Japanese name
Kanji	聖廟 聖堂
Transcriptions Romanization Seibyō Seidō
Indonesian name
Indonesian	Boen Bio
Manchu name
Manchu script	ᡴᡠᠩᡶᡠᡯ ᡳ ᠮᡠᡴᡨᡝᡥᡝᠨ
Möllendorff	Kungfudzi-i muktehen

Part of a series on
Confucianism
Early history Spring and Autumn period Confucius Warring States period Mencius Xunzi Western Han Dong Zhongshu Gongsun Hong
Fundamental concepts Tian Ganying Zhengming Xiao Sangang Wuchang Li Ren Xin Yi
Schools Neo-Confucianism Han Learning Taigu school Lingnan Confucianism New Confucianism Progressive Confucianism Hermeneutic schools Old Text New Text
Confucianism by country Korea Japan Indonesia United States
Confucian texts Ruzang Five Classics Classic of Poetry Book of Documents Book of Rites Book of Changes Spring and Autumn Annals Four Books Analects Mencius Doctrine of the Mean Great Learning Other texts Three Commentaries Rites of Zhou Ceremonial Rites Classic of Filial Piety Erya
Organization Confucian ritual religion Temple of Confucius Confucian churches and sects Holy Confucian Church Indonesian Confucian Church Universal Church of the Way and its Virtue Phoenix churches Xuanyuanism Shengdao
v t e

A Temple of Confucius or a Confucian temple is a place of worship where people show respect to Confucius and other important people of Confucianism.^[1] Confucianism is a folk religion in China and other countries in East and Southeast Asia. Its history in East Asia is more than 2,500 years.^[2]

In the past, these temples were where the imperial examination happened in China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. They often included schools and other places for studying.^[3][4][5]

The birthplace of Confucius is Qufu in Shandong, China. The city has the largest and most famous temple of Confucius. Inside it is a very tall statue of Confucius (72 meters) made of brass and strengthened with steel. This temple is the oldest Confucius temple in the world. It has also been a UNESCO world heritage site since 1994.^[6]

1. ↑ Huang, Chin-shing; Huang, Jinxing (2021). Confucianism and Sacred Space: The Confucius Temple from Imperial China to Today. Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-19896-7.
2. ↑ "Confucianism". education.nationalgeographic.org. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
3. ↑ Bell, Daniel A. (2021). "Review of Confucianism and Sacred Space: The Confucius Temple from Imperial China to Today, Chin-shing Huang". China Review. 21 (2): 241–245. ISSN 1680-2012. JSTOR 27019018.
4. ↑ boguo (2013-08-28). "Confucius Temples: Houses of Worship in Ancient China". Retrieved 2023-12-14.
5. ↑ Berkshire Publishing Group LLC (2009). "Confucian Temples" (PDF). Confucian Sites at Qufu. 5. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
6. ↑ Global Cultural Exchange (GCE) and Beijing Shangdehongyi Cultural Exchange Ltd. (2021). "WHV - Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu". Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu, China.