Tainan Confucius Temple 臺南孔廟

One of the most famous temples in Taiwan

The Tainan Confucius Temple or 臺南孔子廟 is one of the most famous historic temples in Tainan, as well as whole of Taiwan. It was built in 1665 with the approval of Zheng Jing 鄭經, the son of Koxinga, who ruled over parts of Southern Taiwan in the late 17th century (source). This temple is a major tourist attraction and the whole area is full of interesting historic and popular spots, but none can match with the beauty and the significance of this temple. My wife and I had the pleasure to visit it on a beautiful morning, below are some of my pictures from that day.

The front yard with a small gate.

A closeup on the gate.

A small tower on the western side.

This small temple is outside the premises of the main part.

The Confucius temple, the main building.

Two dragons and a miniature pagoda on top of the building.

I really like Confucius temples, because they are simple in design, they don't go too much in colorful ornamentation and in addition, they are usually very solemn and peaceful. This one doesn't impress with its size or architecture in particular, but with the rich history and the significance for Tainan as a city and Taiwan as a whole. If you're a Taiwan enthusiast, you definitely have to put it on top of your must-see places.

The altar inside.

An interesting detail on top.

A small classroom in a surrounding building.

The Confucious temple photographed from the southwestern side.

Calligraphy

[My 2012 SOUTH TAIWAN tour][My TAINAN page][All photos by MKL, 2012]