Tainan City is a cultural capital and has always been a popular city, whether it is the warm and pleasant weather, the humane streets and living environment, or the delicious and affordable special snacks. This time, V editor will take you to the Confucius Temple, a tourist attraction in the West Central District of Tainan, the first school in Taiwan, to learn about Confucius and the delicacies near the Confucius Temple. Let’s cultivate the fragrance of books and taste delicious food together~
The Origin and Historical Use of Tainan Confucius Temple
On the street beside Nanmen Road, surrounded by a long stretch of noble red brick walls, Tainan Confucius Temple is the earliest Confucian temple in Taiwan. The origin of Tainan Confucius Temple can be traced back to the 19th year of the Yongli reign of the Ming Dynasty. At that time, Chen Yonghua proposed Zheng Jing’s plan of national restoration, which was “ten years of growth, ten years of education, and ten years of gathering”, to build temples and schools to recruit talents. After Zheng Jing adopted the suggestion, he ordered Chen Yonghua to select a site and start construction. Chen Yonghua then built the “Temple of the First Teacher” in Guizaipu, Chengtian Prefecture. According to Taiwan Waiji, the project was completed in January of the 20th year of the Yongli reign, and Minglun Hall was built next to the Holy Temple of the First Master.
In the 24th year of Emperor Kangxi’s reign in the Qing Dynasty, Zhou Chang and Jiang Yuying presided over the reconstruction of the Confucius Temple into the Taiwan Provincial School, and renamed it the “Temple of the First Teacher”, commonly known as the “Confucius Temple”. The first plaque “Teacher of All Ages” was left in the Confucius Temple, and a “Xiamen Monument” made of granite was erected at the entrance. It was written in Manchu and Chinese: “Civil and military officials, soldiers and civilians, etc., must bow here”, which means that no matter how high the official rank or how noble the status, when coming here, one must bow to show respect.
After the Japanese colonial period, the Taiwan Governor-General’s Office issued the “Public School Order” and “Public School Rules” in the 31st year of the Meiji era, and established the Tainan Confucius Temple as the “Tainan Public School” to provide Taiwanese with Japanese education at the elementary school level. In the 37th year of the Meiji era, it was renamed the “Tainan First Public School”, which was the first teaching place in Taiwan built with government funding. It can be said to be the cradle of Taiwan’s intellectuals at that time. In 1983, the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of China announced the first batch of 15 first-class historical sites, and Tainan Confucius Temple was among them.
What are the characteristics of Tainan Confucius Temple?
The architectural features of the Confucius Temple in Tainan City are that the main building follows the rule of “school on the left and temple on the right”. In front of the temple, there are the Li Gate and Yi Road on the east and west sides. The Dacheng Gate is the entrance, and on both sides are the Chastity and Filial Piety Shrine and the Famous Officials and Local Worthies Shrine.
The Dacheng Hall is the main body, with the east and west wings in front and the ritual vessels and musical instruments storehouse in the back. The rear hall is the Chongsheng Temple, and next to it are the Classics Hall and Yicheng Academy.
The Dacheng Hall is located on the platform. There is a slope in the middle of the stairs called the “Imperial Road”, which is engraved with musical instruments, chess, calligraphy, paintings and dragon heads. In ancient times, common people were not allowed to walk on it. Only the emperor and the newly crowned top scholar could walk on it when offering sacrifices to Confucius. The waist walls in front and behind the platform have small lions with different postures standing in the corners, which are simple and cute. There are dragon heads under the corners, which actually serve the function of drainage.
Tainan Confucius Temple Tickets and Official Website Information
- Attraction address: No. 2, Nanmen Road, West Central District, Tainan City
- Attractions Phone Number：06-221-4647
- Attraction opening hours: 08:30～17:30
- Attractions website：http://confucius.culture.tw/
- Closed on: New Year’s Eve and every Monday
- Tickets: NT$25 for all, 20% off for groups of 30 or more, free for Tainan residents with ID. In Tainan Confucius Temple, only the Dacheng Hall requires tickets, and other areas can be visited for free.
What activities are there at the Tainan Confucius Temple?
【Confucius Temple Cultural Festival】
The Cultural Affairs Bureau stated that ancient Confucianists required students to learn the Six Arts, namely etiquette, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and mathematics, which is a general term for higher education disciplines in ancient times. Every year, the Confucius Temple Cultural Festival is held to offer courses related to the Six Arts, allowing adults and children to experience archery, pitching pots, water calligraphy, etc., and feel the beauty of the Six Arts. This is the most powerful way to preserve and continue cultural assets.
【Confucius Memorial Ceremony】
Every year on Teacher’s Day, which is also the birthday of Confucius, the Tainan City Government’s Cultural Bureau follows ancient rituals and holds a Confucius worship ceremony in the Dacheng Hall of the Confucius Temple at 5 a.m. The ceremony includes the main offering official, the secondary offering official, and the dancers who perform the Liuyi dance. At the end of the ceremony, there is also an activity of plucking wisdom hair, which is the climax of the whole festival. The hair from the ears, eyes and eyebrows of the sacrificial yellow cattle is pulled out, which means “sharp ears and clear eyes”.
Restaurants near Tainan Confucius Temple
Tainan is famous for its delicious food. While on a cultural and artistic tour, you must also satisfy your taste buds. When you come to Fuzhong Street near the Tainan Confucius Temple, you will find many delicious snacks that you must try.
Baoge Black Wheel
Walk into the old street opposite the main entrance of Confucius Temple South Road, turn right at the first alley, and you will see this restaurant. Whenever people talk about Tainan fried instant noodles, the first thing that comes to mind is of course “Bao Ge Black Wheel”! The retro and wood-style decoration, coupled with the wooden chairs and tables that look like those in A Ma’s house, makes you feel like you are back in your childhood at your grandparents’ home in the countryside. When a bowl of hot noodles is served, you will first smell the rich aroma of shallots. The noodles of moderate hardness are topped with cabbage, black round slices and meat slices, and finally served with a half-boiled egg, which adds a lot of flavor to the seemingly plain and simple Tongyi dry noodles.
In addition to the must-order fried instant noodles, there are also many oden to choose from, paired with the sweet soy sauce paste that is typical of Tainan. Even if you are not from Tainan, you will fall in love with the taste.
- Tainan Food Store Name: Baoge Black Wheel
- Address: No. 25, Lane 196, Section 1, Fuqian Road, West Central District, Tainan City
- Telephone：06-228-5442
- Business hours: 11:00~19:30 (Closed on Thursdays)
Fook Kee Beef Dumplings
On Fuqian Road in front of the Tainan Art Museum, two brothers each opened a restaurant with the same name, “Fu Ji Meat Balls”. The business hours are also staggered so that customers can enjoy the taste everywhere whenever they miss it, whether in the morning or in the evening.
Many old restaurants in Tainan follow the path of specialty stores, and Fu Kee Beef Balls is no exception. The boss’s idea is to make one thing the best.
The store only sells one item – pork balls. The steamed pork balls have a thick and soft outer layer that melts easily without too much bite. The lean meat inside is chewy, and paired with the sweet sauce, you’ll want another serving after you finish it.
You don’t have to worry about getting tired of the meatballs alone, as the store also provides free pork bouillon soup, with celery, vegetables, onions, white pepper, etc. on the side for everyone to season themselves. The flavor of the meatballs combined with the light taste of the bouillon soup can be considered a traditional Taiwanese dim sum in Tainan.
- Tainan Food Store Name: Fu Kee Beef Balls
- address： No. 215, Section 1, Fuqian Road, West Central District, Tainan City
- Telephone：06-215-7157
- Business hours: 6:30~18:30 (Closed on Mondays)
- Tainan Food Store Name: Fu Kee Beef Balls Second Store
- address： No. 299, Section 1, Fuqian Road, West Central District, Tainan City
- Telephone：06-215-8199
- Business hours: 11:00~20:30 (Closed on Mondays)
Xile Rice Cake (formerly Fu Meili Oil Rice)
The traditional rice cake, which has been enjoyed by locals since childhood and has been around for more than 70 years, was even named “Jile Rice Cake” by baseball star Wang Chien-ming, and is also called “Wang Chien-ming Rice Cake” by locals.
Founded in 1945, it was originally named “Fu Meili Youfan”. With the evolution of the times, the store still adheres to the traditional old-fashioned method. Glutinous rice is topped with dried meat, crispy fried dough sticks and pickled egg slices. The ingredients are eaten together, just like the chef Xiaomi in the cooking mouse, combining different flavors to create a multi-layered rich taste. People who like to eat braised meatballs can also add one to try. The handmade meatballs made of batter are fried first and then braised, so that the braised meatballs can absorb the essence of the marinade more, and get a soft and chewy taste.
In addition to rice cakes, you can also have a bowl of Four Gods Soup, which is filled with four kinds of ingredients: coix seeds, lotus seeds, yam, and angelica. The sweet and refreshing soup is paired with odorless and chewy pig intestines. If you have a bowl of this before tasting the rice cakes, it will really whet your appetite. Every Saturday, the store also has a limited-edition hidden version of oily rice for sale, which can be said to be a favorite authentic delicacy of many gourmets!
- Tainan Food Store Name: Xile Rice Cake
- Address: No. 251, Section 1, Fuqian Road, West Central District, Tainan City
- Telephone：06-214-8628
- Business hours: 9:30~18:00 (Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays)
Tainan West Central District Confucius Temple Shopping District Food and Restaurants
Fuzhong Street (also known as the Confucius Temple Charming Shopping District) opposite the Confucius Temple in Tainan is open on weekdays and holidays, and there are lively markets on weekends and holidays, where you can buy a variety of handicrafts and cultural and creative products, as well as Tainan’s special snacks such as Baoge fried instant noodles, two-yuan black wheels, and taro ice.
Fuzhong Street is also called the Alley of the Chinese Tung Blossoms because both sides of the street are lined with Chinese Tung trees. It is said that during the Qing Dynasty, Tainan City was also known as the “Chinese Tung City”! In addition, the Pangong Stone Archway standing at the intersection of Fuzhong Street faces the entrance of the Dongda Archway of the Mian Temple opposite. The stone archway was actually built during the Qing Dynasty, but its earliest location was on Nanmen Road. Due to the need to widen the road during the Japanese occupation, the entire stone archway was moved.
The Confucius Temple Charming Business District covers Fuzhong Street and the alleys inside. It is recommended that you take a walk in the alleys. You will find many great shops, including ancient, cultural and creative, delicious, fun…all kinds of surprises. You can also experience cooking molasses under a stone stove, which is cheap and fun.
There are also many good shops near Fuzhong Street, such as Narrow Door Coffee, which is just across from the Confucius Temple. It is a coffee shop with a long history in Tainan. The most famous thing about it is that its entrance and exit are extremely narrow. Only one person can enter at a time and you might miss it if you are not careful!
The Cao Ji second-hand bookstore next door is also a very distinctive store in Tainan. It houses many old furniture and decorations, and the overall layout has the flavor of an ancient capital. Kelintai Bao, located at the intersection of Nanmen Road and Fuqian Road, is also a shop with a long history. It specializes in selling various traditional pastries and dim sum, among which the Eight Treasure Meat Bun is one of its signature dishes. Locals will come here to buy it when they are craving for dim sum in the afternoon or want to have it for breakfast. In addition, the colorful pancakes are also highly recommended! There are many attractions nearby, such as the Tainan Museum of Art I where Lin Chi-ling held her wedding, the Taiwan Literature Museum, the Yeh Shi-tao Literature Museum, the Tainan Museum of Art II, and the Hayashi Department Store. You can stroll all the way to the Zhengxing Street and Guohua Street food districts, and enjoy the ancient monuments and food all the way.
Tainan Confucius Temple Parking Information
Roadside parking or Tainan Museum of Fine Arts’ underground parking lot
Tainan West Central District Hotel Accommodation
This time, let’s take everyone on a trip to the Internet-famous hotels in Tainan! Since you are going to stay, you have to stay in the most beautiful and design-conscious hotel. This time, the recommended hotel for accommodation in Tainan’s West Central District is “Sandaomen Architectural Cultural Hotel”, an architectural cultural hotel that combines the concepts of “architectural aesthetics”, “art appreciation” and “ancient capital culture”. We hope that travelers can appreciate the charming coexistence of the old and new in the city through the baptism of Sandaomen.
The designer specially created a Sky Garden Aesthetics Museum, where everyone can comfortably overlook the ancient city’s skyline and appreciate the architectural design. Tianbu Art, Tianbu Light and Shadow, Tianbu Tree Rooms and other room types are decorated with terrazzo and wood grain floors, and use a large amount of furniture, desks, partitions, etc. made of cypress, so that travelers can absorb the phytoncides of nature in the room.
Accommodation: Hot spots for Internet celebrities to take photos: Sky Garden (Sky Garden Aesthetic Museum), Lobby Bar. Exclusive services of the hotel: exclusive butler, free private map, free bicycle rental, self-service dim sum bar. Nearby walking distance: Chihkan Tower business district, Zhengxing Street and Guohua Street and other Tainan snack and alley shop areas, Hayashi Department Store, Confucius Temple business district.
- Tainan Hotel, Accommodation Name: Three Doors Hotel
- address：No. 77, Chenggong Road, West Central District, Tainan City
- Reservation Hotline: 06-2223088
