Chishan’s Confucius Temple 旗山孔子廟

Chishan’s 41,169 square meter Confucius Temple is the largest Confucius temple in Taiwan. Built in 1984 it is also one of the newer Confucius Temples. Given that this temple closed for a long time to fix serious cracks due to poor building, Chishan’s Confucius temple has a surprising beauty which is very much lacking in the Lotus Lake Confucius temples — Kaohsiung’s other Confucius temples. The new one, built in 1974-6, is gaudy and sorely deficient of charm; the old merely remnants (although all pale in comparison to Taiwan’s oldest and most complete Confucius temple in Tainan).Spirit tablets housed in a side hall of the Chishan Confucius Temple.Confucius Temples are elegant and simple in their symmetry and design. Wooden Door Nails or “men ding (門釘)” may only be displayed by temples that hold officially sanctioned rites, as this Confucius temple does. The temple sits atop a hill in Jungshan park surrounded by large trees and commands a nice view of Chishan.Like all other Confucius temples the spatial layout complies with ancient principles, pictured is the Gate of Great Achievement (大成門) which leads to the Hall of Great Achievement (大成殿) — the heart of the temple where the great sage’s tablet is kept.Ritual instruments flank the door and side halls house very informative displays of ritual instruments and Confucian ceremonies.A self portrait