[ { "DataSN": "3373615", "ArticleType": "0", "FileName": "", "Link": "", "Source": "https://english.tct.gov.taipei/News_Content.aspx?n=71725BFFCDE633F3&s=0E447EFA4E9265DE", "title": "Hong Gate and Pan Gong", "Content": "Hong Gate and Pan Gong The Hong Gate and Pan Gong are at the main entrance of the temple, on the right and left respectively. In some Confucius temples, these are made into an honorific arch or in the form of a tower above and a gate below. The Hong Gate (west gate) and Pan Gong  (east gate) are both gate towers of the double eaves type, with a "swallow-tail" ridge and a middle that opens up as an arch with circular windows on  either side. From Da Long Street you can see its beautiful exterior appearance.", "Files": [], "Links": [], "Pictures": [ { "title": "Hong Gate ", "url": "https://www-ws.gov.taipei/001/Upload/415/relpic/20591/3373615/a2810323-d83f-48be-aded-5e8f15a16a4e.jpg" }, { "title": "location.JPG", "url": "https://www-ws.gov.taipei/001/Upload/415/relpic/20591/3373615/12440e0a-1318-4a42-9261-33d5232673d3.jpg" }, { "title": "Pan Gong", "url": "https://www-ws.gov.taipei/001/Upload/415/relpic/20591/3373615/a9f318e4-1138-4111-8603-375a195db69f.jpg" } ], "Movies": [], "Publish Department": "Taipei Confucius Temple Governing Board" }, { "DataSN": "3373614", "ArticleType": "0", "FileName": "", "Link": "", "Source": "https://english.tct.gov.taipei/News_Content.aspx?n=71725BFFCDE633F3&s=88BED17D1C5355A8", "title": "Wanren Gongqiang and the Pan Pond", "Content": "Wanren Gongqiang and the Pan PondFrom Jiu Quan Street to the south of the temple, one can see a high wall immediately outside the front door. This is the Wanren Gongqiang which is necessary for any Confucius temple. The origin of this wall comes from The Analects of Confucius, "Tzu Kung said, our master's wall raises many times a man's height,  ◆ Pan Pond and the three-arch stone bridgeand no one who is not let in by the gate can know the beauty and wealth of the palace that, with its ancestral temple and hundred ministrants, lies hidden within. But it must be admitted that those who are let in by the gate are few." This means that Confucius' knowledge and morals are very deep. There is no short-cut to learning. Those who wish to learn must go through the Hongmen Gate or the Pangon Gate (which are both ancient institutions of learning) and study with all-out effort.The four characters "Wan Ren Gon Qiang" are written on the outside wall of the temple and a Chinese unicorn was painted inside. According to legend, the Chinese unicorn is a gentle beast, and heralds the birth of a talented son. In the old days, the Chinese unicorn was painted not only on the Wanren Gongqiang of Confucius temples, but also on the walls immediately outside the front doors of other temples or government offices. From this one can see that the painting of Chinese unicorns has a long and well established tradition.The Pan Pond is in the shape of a half-moon and is located behind the Wan Ren Gon Wall. Half-moon shaped ponds were often placed in front of houses or temples in ancient times. It was believed that such ponds could prevent disasters as well as reduce the summer heat and constitute good geomancy. In addition, "Pan Pond" also means "the water of Pangon Gate", or, "the pond of the school".", "Files": [], "Links": [], "Pictures": [ { "title": " Pan Pond", "url": "https://www-ws.gov.taipei/001/Upload/415/relpic/20591/3373614/8e632dcc-cf80-476f-90a5-227292cf40fa.jpg" }, { "title": "Wanren Gongqiang", "url": "https://www-ws.gov.taipei/001/Upload/415/relpic/20591/3373614/8265fcc3-be6d-4824-8ea6-8293eb7974e9.jpg" }, { "title": "location.JPG", "url": "https://www-ws.gov.taipei/001/Upload/415/relpic/20591/3373614/f064cfa3-72c6-4009-94d7-21867988ba98.jpg" } ], "Movies": [], "Publish Department": "Taipei Confucius Temple Governing Board" }, { "DataSN": "3373613", "ArticleType": "0", "FileName": "", "Link": "", "Source": "https://english.tct.gov.taipei/News_Content.aspx?n=71725BFFCDE633F3&s=678DFF0637A4ECE1", "title": "Li Gate and Yi Lu", "Content": "Li Gate and Yi LuAfter passing through the Hong Gate, one must go through the Li Gate to get to the Lingxing Gate and Pan Pond. The Li Gate and Yi Lu Path are on the left and right of the main building of the Confucius Temple, are the entrance to the main building. The designs of these two doors are simple, with only one door.There is a three-arch stone bridge, the Pan Bridge, over the Pan Pond of the Taipei Confucius Temple. The bridge is arched like a rainbow and the balustrades on each side are carved like bamboo. Pillar heads between the balustrades are carved in the shape of brush tops. These beautiful designs symbolize noble character, incorruptible principles and prospering literature. They are well worth looking at carefully. There was an interesting story about the Pan Bridge over the Pan Pond. It was said that in ancient times, if a place produced a scholar who was the first place in the civil service examinations which was presided over by the emperor, the residents of that area could walk through the Pan Bridge, Lingxing Gate and Yi Gate, and straight into the Dacheng Hall to worship Confucius. However, some Confucius temples do not have a Pan Bridge.", "Files": [], "Links": [], "Pictures": [ { "title": "location.JPG", "url": "https://www-ws.gov.taipei/001/Upload/415/relpic/20591/3373613/8de0ca57-6f51-412d-9655-1a77bcb80504.jpg" }, { "title": "Li Gate.JPG", "url": "https://www-ws.gov.taipei/001/Upload/415/relpic/20591/3373613/651bafc7-14bd-4285-9717-1f7a49eb743d.jpg" } ], "Movies": [], "Publish Department": "Taipei Confucius Temple Governing Board" }, { "DataSN": "3373612", "ArticleType": "0", "FileName": "", "Link": "", "Source": "https://english.tct.gov.taipei/News_Content.aspx?n=71725BFFCDE633F3&s=5642671807F1E461", "title": "Lingxing Gate", "Content": "Lingxing GateAfter the Pan Pond, one goes around the garden and arrives at the Lingxing Gate.A Lingxing Gate is necessary for any Confucius temple and it is placed in the front. In the Qu Fu Confucius Temple, for example, the Lingxing Gate is built like an honorific arch. The Lingxing Gate of the Confucius Temple in Zhang Hua, Southern Taiwan, has a roof and is like a tower with a gate underneath. The Lingxing Gate of the Taipei Confucius Temple is as wide as seven normal sized rooms, and its roof is in the hip-and-gable style which makes it look like a Buddhist or Taoist temple. In this respect, it is completely different from the Qu Fu Confucius Temple.In the middle of the entrance of the Lingxing Gate, there is a pair of beautiful coiled dragon stone pillars. Most of the stone used to build these pillars were brought over from Quan Zhou. There are two kinds of stone. The blue-green color type is called Chingtou stone, while the ivory color type is called Quan Zhou white stone. Besides the dragon stone pillars, there are also all kinds of flower and bird patterns carved on the walls. These carvings are in a simple style that brings out the gracefulness of the Confucius Temple.The Lingxing Gate of a Confucius temple does not have door gods painted on it. In this respect it is very different from a Buddhist temple which has the four guardians of the world painted on its doors, or a Taoist temple which has the door gods Shen-shu and Yu-lu on them. As was the ancient fashion of making doors, the inside of the door of the Lingxing Gate has one hundred and eight protruding door studs. Moreover, if we compare the wooden structures of the Lingxing Gate and the Da Cheng Temple carefully, we will find that the styles of the carvings are different. This is because when the Lingxing Gate was being built, Wang Yi-shun, the designer of the temple, had already passed away in Quan Zhou, and the Gate was completed by local craftsmen  ", "Files": [], "Links": [], "Pictures": [ { "title": "location.JPG", "url": "https://www-ws.gov.taipei/001/Upload/415/relpic/20591/3373612/df698777-70c8-4522-a90e-c9387b38e836.jpg" }, { "title": "Lingxing Gate", "url": "https://www-ws.gov.taipei/001/Upload/415/relpic/20591/3373612/af47d9b1-bced-4709-b9af-c383d7f418f0.jpg" } ], "Movies": [], "Publish Department": "Taipei Confucius Temple Governing Board" }, { "DataSN": "3373611", "ArticleType": "0", "FileName": "", "Link": "", "Source": "https://english.tct.gov.taipei/News_Content.aspx?n=71725BFFCDE633F3&s=0A623610B481D058", "title": "Yi Gate", "Content": "Yi GateYi Gate is also called the Da Cheng Gate. It is the main door to the Da Cheng Temple. The Yi Gate is as wide as five normal-sized rooms and there are doors on the left and right. On its left is the Jing Sheng Door and on the right is the Yu Zhen Door which are used on normal days.This kind of design is identical to the Qu Fu Confucius Temple.There are also stone pillars in the corridor of the Yi Gate, but there are no dragon carvings on the pillars and they look relatively simple. Koji pottery decoration is inlaid in its hallway walls, and the colors of these inlays are very graceful, and worthy of careful appreciation. The wood carvings in the windows on each side of the middle entrance (hornless dragons encircling a censer) are the most important of all.The hornless dragon is one of the nine sons of the dragon and was often carved on buildings or furniture in the old days. "Hornless dragons encircling a censer" is a pattern that uses several pairs of dragons to make a pattern of a censer. The lines of this pattern are smooth. Eight hornless dragons outline the shape of a censer on the Yi Gate of the Taipei Confucius Temple. The carving is refined and recognized as a masterpiece.A Yong bell and a Jin drum are placed inside the Yi Gate and are used in the Confucius ceremony. Look carefully at the wooden structure of the beams. Some ancient Chinese buildings don't have ceilings. This kind of style is called Lu Ming Zhao, a style in which there is no ceiling and the beams are visible. The beams must bear the weight of the roof but also look beautiful. The beams used in the Yi Gate are known as the "two beams three melon style".That is, there are two beams and three melon pillars. The melon pillars are shaped like pumpkins with whiskers that go down and wrap around the beams. This kind of structure is very sturdy and useful in a place like Taiwan where earthquakes are frequent.Another interesting feature is that the detailed carvings on the left and right beams are different. In the old days, when building a house, two craftsmen were often hired to carve the beams on each side respectively. The size of the beams would be the same, but the craftsmen could carve whatever they wanted. Wang Yi-shun, the designer, hired two groups of wood carvers to work on each side. Take a good look at the different carvings on the beams.", "Files": [], "Links": [], "Pictures": [ { "title": "location.JPG", "url": "https://www-ws.gov.taipei/001/Upload/415/relpic/20591/3373611/25890efa-9b39-46be-8727-38a35db2ecac.jpg" }, { "title": "Yi Gate", "url": "https://www-ws.gov.taipei/001/Upload/415/relpic/20591/3373611/00a44e08-fcc9-41b5-a7f8-ff3fe1abdac5.jpg" } ], "Movies": [], "Publish Department": "Taipei Confucius Temple Governing Board" }, { "DataSN": "3373610", "ArticleType": "0", "FileName": "", "Link": "", "Source": "https://english.tct.gov.taipei/News_Content.aspx?n=71725BFFCDE633F3&s=D148447951D8E0B3", "title": "Dacheng Hall", "Content": "Dacheng HallAfter going through the Yimen Gate, one can see the Dacheng Hall standing in the middle of the broad stone courtyard. According to ancient etiquette, the various officials involved in the Confucius ceremony would stand in certain positions on the granite floor. This gives the ceremony a very solemn appearance.The Dacheng Hall is the main building of a Confucius temple, and the tablet of Confucius is placed here. The tablet is placed on a very high platform with steps leading up to it. In front of the Dacheng Hall is a platform called the Dan Chi, where, during the Confucius ceremony, the musicians stand and young boys dance the six-fold formation dance. In front of the Dan Chi there is the imperial road, on which is carved the cloud dragon, whose spirit is well shown by the delicately carved head.The Dacheng Hall is as wide as five normal-sized rooms, as deep as six normal-sized rooms, and has 42 huge pillars. It has a double-eaves style roof. There are corridors on all four sides, and you can walk around the hall along the winding corridors. This grand and carefully designed structure is one of the few traditional buildings in Taiwan.The carved stone pillars used in the corridor are all made of Quan Zhou white stone. In the middle is a pair of coiled dragon pillars. The carving is very fine and the pillars are considered to be masterpieces. All these carvings are the work of craftsmen from Huian, Quan Zhou. The style is powerful and simple, very different from the ornate style used in most temples.Look at the ridge of the Dacheng Hall, you will find there is a seven-storey pagoda in the middle, a cylinder-like object on the swallow-tail eaves at both ends, and 72 clay owls on the roof ridge. All these decorations have their origins and stories.According to the legend, the pagoda symbolizes the suppressing of evil; therefore a small pagoda was placed in the Dacheng Hall. The cylinder-like object, known as a Tong Tian Pillar, is put on the body of a sea-tortoise. There is also a coiled dragon on the cylinder. It is said that during the Song Dynasty, Zhu Xi remembered with gratitude that Confucius was the model of perfection, and put a Tong Tian pillar in the roof of the Quan Zhou Confucius Temple to show his respect. It later became a tradition in the Confucius temples of Southern Fu Jian. Another story is that Shih-huang-ti, the first emperor of Chin, burned the books and buried the scholars alive. In order to preserve books, scholars hid them inside bamboo. To commemorate the protecting of books, Tong Tian pillars were put on the ridge.The Tablet of Confucius is placed in the sanctuary in the middle of the Dacheng Hall. The black tablet on which President Chiang Kai-shek wrote in gold: "Education for All" is Hong up. On the left and right walls are the tablets of "Fu Saint" Yen Tzu, "CHong Saint" Tseng Tzu, "Shu Saint" Tzu Szu, the "Lesser Sage" Mencius, and the Twelve Philosophers. The Da Cheng Hall is very spacious and solemn. Above the hall is an octagonal plafond, and there are 24 brackets concentrated in the center. After four layers of eaves brackets, there are only 16 brackets left to the top in a radiation shape, which is very magnificent. In the four corners of the plafond there are four bats carvings (four bats in Chinese is a homonym for "giving fortune").In addition, there are sloped carved ceilings on the two sides of the plafond. These ceilings cover the beams but also allow ventilation. This combination of decorative and practical use makes one admire the cleverness of ancient Chinese architecture.", "Files": [], "Links": [], "Pictures": [ { "title": "location.JPG", "url": "https://www-ws.gov.taipei/001/Upload/415/relpic/20591/3373610/6a6100b0-e119-47f2-8e05-c49ea139fb51.jpg" }, { "title": "Dacheng Hall", "url": "https://www-ws.gov.taipei/001/Upload/415/relpic/20591/3373610/89d66fd1-d024-47f5-ab22-7c18395dcb90.jpg" } ], "Movies": [], "Publish Department": "Taipei Confucius Temple Governing Board" }, { "DataSN": "3373609", "ArticleType": "0", "FileName": "", "Link": "", "Source": "https://english.tct.gov.taipei/News_Content.aspx?n=71725BFFCDE633F3&s=632236F605E9316F", "title": "East and West Side-buildings", "Content": "East and West Side-buildingsThe courtyard encircled by the Da Cheng Temple, the Yimen Gate and the East and West Side-buildings is the central part of the Confucius Temple. The East and West Side-buildings are like the side rooms of an ancient house. They have lower roofs, and the idol niches inside them accommodate the 154 scholars and outstanding students of Confucius who have made great contributions in promoting Confucianism.The East and West Side-buildings are symmetrically located on either side of the Da Cheng Temple. Because their roofs are simpler, the carvings on the beams are also plainer. The row of pillars in the corridor makes for a strong sense of rhythm. But you won't find scrolls on these pillars. A rule observed by all Confucius temples is "never dare to show off one's literary skill in front of Confucius." The eaves brackets of these two rooms also have lively patterns of hornless dragons that allow one to experience the beauty and intricacy of Southern Chinese architecture.", "Files": [], "Links": [], "Pictures": [ { "title": "location.JPG", "url": "https://www-ws.gov.taipei/001/Upload/415/relpic/20591/3373609/40c62663-765a-4c3f-b31c-c344875a8e08.jpg" }, { "title": "East Side buildings", "url": "https://www-ws.gov.taipei/001/Upload/415/relpic/20591/3373609/b373aea1-7823-47d6-9a3f-b1dad4416ef9.jpg" } ], "Movies": [], "Publish Department": "Taipei Confucius Temple Governing Board" }, { "DataSN": "3373608", "ArticleType": "0", "FileName": "", "Link": "", "Source": "https://english.tct.gov.taipei/News_Content.aspx?n=71725BFFCDE633F3&s=4FDFA985F19F412E", "title": "Chongsheng Shrine", "Content": "Chongsheng ShrineGo around the Da Cheng Temple, we will arrive at the rear courtroom, the Chongsheng Shrine. The Chongsheng Shrine is where Confucius' ancestors for five generations are venerated, including Chaosheng Duke Muchinfu, Yusheng Duke Chifu, Yisheng Duke Fangshu, Changsheng Duke Pohsia and Chisheng Duke Shuliangho. Confucius' brothers, the fathers of Yen Tzu, Tseng Tzu, Mencius and Tzu Ssu, and the fathers of other Confucian worthies are also venerated here. In fact, this kind of arrangement has its roots in the Chinese clan ethics that have existed for several thousand years. The layout of Confucius temples is also very similar to that of a clan ancestral temple.The Chongsheng Shrine is as wide as five normal-sized rooms. The beams in the Chongsheng Shrine are the same as the ones in the Yi Gate: one can see the beams and the carvings of the melon pillar. The frame has three beams and five short pillars. The melon pillars are carved into pumpkins or papayas, and look very round and substantial, both powerful and beautiful. The carved lions on the top, which seem to carry the beams on their shoulders, look as if they are real lions.", "Files": [], "Links": [], "Pictures": [ { "title": "location.JPG", "url": "https://www-ws.gov.taipei/001/Upload/415/relpic/20591/3373608/908b8079-6931-44f0-9870-35d25235d38f.jpg" }, { "title": "Chongsheng Shrine", "url": "https://www-ws.gov.taipei/001/Upload/415/relpic/20591/3373608/da04d696-e3f4-4980-be69-dd64001ed707.jpg" } ], "Movies": [], "Publish Department": "Taipei Confucius Temple Governing Board" } ]