Although many people appreciate Confucius as one of history's great thinkers and teachers, relatively little attention has been devoted of late to temples built in his honor.
Apart from the patronage of thousands of desperate student supplicants -- and their families -- praying for wisdom and good grades each year, the temples are occasional tourist attractions for complex annual ceremonies in which offerings are made to Confucius.
While the oldest Confucian temple in Taiwan is in Tainan, there are temples dedicated to the famed philosopher all over Asia.
Keeping alive an appreciation of the Confucian legacy, the Council for Cultural Affairs yesterday announced the launch of its "Taiwan Confucian Temple" Web site (confucius.cca.gov.tw).
"We hope to use this Web site to inform everyone of the history of Confucian temples as a social institution," said Kao Ming-shih (
"Originally, Confucian temples were schools. We tried to bring this educational perspective into the creation of the database," Kao said.
The NT$5-million project, the result of eight months' work, is part of the council's National Repository of Cultural Heritage project.
The project seeks to increase cultural and historical awareness through the Internet.
"On this Web site, we've tried to combine the most modern technology with the most ancient of knowledge. With the importance of the Internet today, we think it is important to use up-to-date methods to keep people interested in culture and history," council Chairwoman Tchen Yu-chiou (陳郁秀) said.
The site offers photographs, maps and commentary on the importance of Confucian temples in Asian cultures as well as a history of Confucius and the philosophical sect of Confucianism.
After entering the site, users can embark on a virtual tour of the Tainan Confucius Temple, learn about the origins and proceedings of the Confucius Ceremony, or learn about Confucian history.
The Web site also includes a section for children, complete with an interactive game.
The Web site has both English and Chinese versions.
"We've worked hard on the English version of the Web site because we want to increase understanding of Taiwanese culture in the international community," said Kuo Chen-wu (
To promote the Web site, the council is also holding a drawing contest. To enter, users must participate in a quiz on Confucius Temple facts available on the Web site. Winners will be announced on May 27.
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