DATE: ESTABLISHED 1726 A.D.

LOCATION: CHANGHUA CITY

DESCRIPTION:

The Confucius Temple at Changhua was constructed by county magistrate Chang Kao in 1726, in the Ching dynasty. Its present appearance was attributed to a radical renovation in Tao-kuang 10 (1830). This temple undoubtedly is a very important symbol of central Taiwan's cultural development. It was originally conceived on a grand scale incorporating two further structures, the Paisha Academy and the Minglun Hall. Today, there only remain the Hall of the Sage, the East and the West Galleries, the Confucius Shrine forming the Rear Hall, the Halberd Hall, and the Ling-hsing Gate. It is unfortunate that some important features outside the Ling-hsing Gate, such as the Propriety Gate, the Righteousness Path, the Pool of Higher Learning, and the Palace Wall, were demolished during the Japanese occupation period (1895-1945). Today the temple is only two-thirds the size of the original construction. The last restoration was carried out in 1978.