Confucius Temple

A temple dedicated to Confucius. It is also called the Kong Temple, the Sacred Temple, the Temple of Literature, or the Sacred Hall. It is said that in 478 BC (17th year of Duke Ai of Lu), the year after Confucius' death, Duke Ai built a temple in Confucius' old house in Qufu Queli (Shandong Province), where he placed Confucius' crown, harp, chariot, books, and other items and had soldiers guard it. In the Northern Wei dynasty, Confucius was enfeoffed as Duke Xuanni during the Han dynasty, so it was called the Xuanni Temple. During the Northern Qi dynasty, the Kongan Temple was built in the temple of the county school, and in the Tang dynasty, Emperor Gaozu ordered the construction of Confucius temples in Guoxue in 619 (Wude 2), and Emperor Taizong ordered the construction of Confucius temples in Zhenguan 4 in Zhouxian. Furthermore, Emperor Gaozu ordered the construction of Confucius temples in various places in 669 (Zongzhang 2). In the Ming Dynasty, it was renamed Wenmiao in 1410 (Yongle 8), and the Qing Dynasty followed suit, and in the Republic of China, it was renamed Confucius Temple. The main hall of the temple is called Dacheng Hall, and houses statues of Confucius, the four disciples (Gan Hui, Zisi, Zengzi, and Mencius), and the twelve philosophers, and an apricot altar is set up on the terrace below the hall. Today, the temple remains in Qufu and other parts of China, and ceremonies to worship Confucius are held in Taiwan and Japan (Yushima Seido in Tokyo, Taku Seibyo in Saga, etc.).

[Yu Tanaka]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

孔子を祀(まつ)った廟。孔廟、聖廟、文廟、聖堂ともいう。孔子の没した翌年の紀元前478年（魯(ろ)の哀公(あいこう)17）哀公が曲阜(きょくふ)闕里(けつり)（山東省）の孔子の旧宅に廟を建て、孔子の冠、琴、車、書などを置き、卒に守らせたのが初めとされる。北魏(ほくぎ)では、漢代に孔子を封(ほう)じて宣尼公(せんにこう)としたことから宣尼廟といった。北朝斉(せい)の時代、郡学の坊内に孔顔廟を建て、唐では高祖が619年（武徳2）国学に、太宗(たいそう)が630年（貞観4）州県に詔(しょう)して孔子廟を建てさせた。さらに高宗が669年（総章2）天下に詔して各地に設置させた。明(みん)代になり、1410年（永楽8）文廟と改称し、清(しん)代もこれに倣い、民国にはまた孔子廟に改められた。廟の正殿を大成殿といい、孔子、四配（顔回(がんかい)、子思(しし)、曽子(そうし)、孟子(もうし)）、十二哲の像を安置し、殿下の露台には杏壇(きょうだん)が設けられている。今日、曲阜のほか中国各地に建造物が遺存し、台湾、日本（東京の湯島聖堂、佐賀の多久聖廟(たくせいびょう)など）では釈奠(せきてん)（孔子を祀る儀式）も行われている。

［田中　有］

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