【Thursday Arts & Culture】The Tainan Confucius Temple Cultural Festival’s “Eight-Tone Hymn to the Sage” Kicks Off This Weekend!

By / MOOK Travel Life Network Editorial Team, compiled and reported

To commemorate the 2564th anniversary of Confucius’ birth, the 2014 Confucius Temple Cultural Festival adopts the theme “Eight-Tone Hymn to the Sage,” using traditional eight-tone instruments to praise Confucius and pay tribute to the Great Sage and Foremost Teacher. Mayor Lai Ching-te, who also serves as chairman of the Tainan City Confucius Temple Cultural Foundation, will not onlypersonally dot cinnabar on the foreheads of first-grade elementary school children to open their wisdom during the opening ceremony at 10 a.m. on the 27th (Saturday) in the Minglun Hall of the Confucius Temple, but will also preside over the grand Confucius Worship Ceremony on Teachers' Day (the 28th) at dawn.The Cultural Affairs Bureau has also collaborated with the Tainan City Confucius Temple Cultural Foundation to offer limited-edition bookmarks as souvenirs for participants in guided tours organized by the bureau during the Confucius Worship Ceremony on the morning of the 28th, marking this year’s Teachers' Day.

“Cinnabar Wisdom Opening”Since the launch of the Confucius Temple Cultural Festival series in 2011, the event has received enthusiastic responses from parents of new students every year. This year, the mayor will again personally dot cinnabar on the right hand’s thenar of first graders just entering national education to open their wisdom, symbolizing the unlocking of children's unlimited potential. The Cultural Research Division explained that in ancient times, when children entered the classroom, they would first bow to the statue of Confucius, then perform a ceremony to their teacher, and finally the teacher would use a cinnabar brush to mark punctuation and begin teaching—this was called “Opening the Brush.” Zhongyi Elementary School next to the Confucius Temple has incorporated this ancient tradition into its local culture curriculum, which is quite meaningful.The “Cinnabar Wisdom Opening” activity will take place at 8:30 a.m. on the 27th (Saturday), and registration is required in advance.

To encourage citizens and tourists from home and abroad to get up early and attend the Confucius Worship Ceremony at 4:30 a.m. on the 28th (Sunday) at Tainan Confucius Temple, the Cultural Affairs Bureau will also present commemorative bookmarks to those who sign up for the “Great Sage Worship Guided Tour.” Moreover, participants who register for the Cinnabar Wisdom Opening ceremony and thematic lectures and stay for the full duration will receive hand-painted silk fans created on-site by calligraphers and painters. To broaden public participation in traditional festivals, the Cultural Affairs Bureau has also added this year“Bring Confucius Home – Rubbing Calligraphy DIY” and “Experience of the Six Arts: Archery.”These two additional activities welcome everyone to come and try hands-on experiences during the event period.

Each year, the Tainan City Confucius Temple Cultural Foundation holds the Confucius Worship Ceremony at Taiwan’s First School, the Confucius Temple, maintaining tradition for over 300 years. The spring and autumn worship ceremonies are held regularly each year, with the autumn ceremony on September 28 being particularly grand. It holds profound significance among Taiwan’s intangible cultural assets. To promote the educational spirit of the Great Sage Confucius—who taught without discrimination—the “2014 Confucius Temple Cultural Festival” series, organized by the city’s Cultural Affairs Bureau, includes the Great Sage Worship Guided Tour, special exhibitions on the Confucius Temple and Taiwan’s cultural heritage, thematic lectures, elegant music performances, tours tracing the footsteps of Chen tx in Tainan, Confucius Temple tours, “Bring Confucius Home,” archery experience under the Six Arts, and commemorative postmarks. All tours and guided visits center around the Confucius Temple, offering both historical depth and educational value.

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