The Taipei Confucius Temple is offering visitors a new experience through the presentation of its history and the sage’s teachings in a “4D” film format which blends traditional culture with modern technology.
Two 15-minute films are being shown in the “4D” theater of the temple’s newly renovated building and are accompanied by special effects such as smoke, bubbles, wind and vibrations which run alongside the stories as they unfold. One of the videos features a meeting between Confucius (孔子), his disciples and the rulers of several nations. Set against the backdrop of ancient China, the film portrays Confucius’ political philosophy and wisdom in tackling potential conflicts, based mainly on chapters of the Analects.
To make it more representative of contemporary Taiwan, it is presented in a form of Taiwanese hand puppetry with the voiceover in Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese). The film comes with English subtitles and a subtitled version in Japanese is expected to be ready by the end of this month, said Chen Tsai-hung (陳彩虹), executive secretary of the temple’s governing board.
Another film, which is voiced in Mandarin and also has English subtitles, focuses on the history of the temple itself — the only Confucian temple in Taiwan that was not constructed by the government.
First built in 1884 during the Qing Dynasty (1662-1895), the temple was torn down by the Japanese government in 1907 during its colonization of the country (1895-1945). Eighteen years later, a group of local gentry decided to rebuild the temple on land donated by some of its members, with more than 200 people joining the project.
The temple as it stands today was completed in 1939 before being donated to the Taipei City Government in 1971, and it has been under the city’s jurisdiction ever since.
The “4D” theater, which underwent a trial run beginning in late March, offers visitors a new audio and video experience that is far more captivating than textbooks and helps them learn about Confucius’ teachings, said Wang Fu-ching, a member of the temple’s governing board.
“Our theater is pioneering modern technology,” he added.
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) yesterday appealed to the authorities to release former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) from pretrial detention amid conflicting reports about his health. The TPP at a news conference on Thursday said that Ko should be released to a hospital for treatment, adding that he has blood in his urine and had spells of pain and nausea followed by vomiting over the past three months. Hsieh Yen-yau (謝炎堯), a retired professor of internal medicine and Ko’s former teacher, said that Ko’s symptoms aligned with gallstones, kidney inflammation and potentially dangerous heart conditions. Ko, charged with
Taiwan-based publisher Li Yanhe (李延賀) has been sentenced to three years in prison, fined 50,000 yuan (US$6,890) in personal assets and deprived political rights for one year for “inciting secession” in China, China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Chen Binhua (陳斌華) said today. The Shanghai First Intermediate People’s Court announced the verdict on Feb. 17, Chen said. The trial was conducted lawfully, and in an open and fair manner, he said, adding that the verdict has since come into legal effect. The defendant reportedly admitted guilt and would appeal within the statutory appeal period, he said, adding that the defendant and his family have
RSS