Confucius Ceremony
Taiwan Culture Portal – 12 October 2011
Here is a link to my article about the Chishan Confucius Ceremony. I have been to Tainan’s Confucius Ceremony several times. The first time was nigh twenty years ago; we had shown up late — 5AM — and they wouldn’t let us in. My friend had graduated from the neighboring Zhong Yi Elementary School and she snuck me around back and we climbed over a wall from the school grounds to get in (that particular wall is no longer there, it has all been opened up. Much nicer). 
I don’t think I would jump any walls to get in today, the last time I went, President Ma was also in attendance and security was very tight.
The ceremony is very similar to Chishan’s but Tainan’s is more traditional with more spectators in a much smaller space while Chishan’s is larger in scale.
As I mention in the article, Chishan doesn’t have actual ox, goat and pig sacrifices to pull the hair from. 
I have seen this woman pulling hair every year I have been!
Tainan’s ceremony is necessarily held in the early morning so the meat doesn’t rot.
Tainan is definitely more fun with the sacrifices.
The man with a razor is pretty serious.
Liefintaiwan 
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