A purported descendant of Confu-cius and several philosophers of Confucianism from Shandong, China, yesterday participated in a celebration of the birth of Confu-cius at the Taipei Confucius Temple. This year marks 2,556 years since the great sage was born.
Kung Teh-ping (
The annual ceremony followed 37 key steps stipulated in Confucian ritual.
PHOTO: CNA
A total of 36 elementary school boys, dressed in yellow silk clothes with a feather and a flute in their hands, performed a classical liuyi (
Several hundred people, including diplomats, foreign guests and interested citizens attended, witnessing what the Taipei City Government claims is "one of the most orthodox Confucius ceremonies" in the world.
Presiding over the ceremony as principal consecration officer, Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
"[Confucianism] is a very important part of Chinese culture ? I hope you all will appreciate the very essence of that culture," Ma told onlookers.
eating wisdom
After the one-hour ceremony, Ma gave away "wisdom cakes" to participants.
Meanwhile, Kung presented Ma with a book of portraits of Confucius painted in the Ming and Qing Dynasties and gave the temple six ritual vessels styled on Zhou Dynasty originals.
The origins of the Confucius Ceremony can be traced back to the Zhou Dynasty. After Confucius died, his residence in Qufu (
Worship at the time was limited to the Confucius Temple in Qufu. In the 13th year of his reign, while visiting the state of Lu, the Han Emperor Gaozu (
The Confucius ceremony was also held in several other cities and counties across the country yesterday.
In Taiwan, the first annual ceremony was held in 1950, a temple representative said.
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