Taiwan Confucian Temple

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The gate of Tainan's Confucian Temple

The Taiwan Confucian Temple (Chinese: 台灣孔廟; also called Tainan Confucian Temple, 台南孔廟 or 台南孔子廟; or Quan Tai Shou Xue, 全台首學) is a Confucian temple in Tainan City, Taiwan. Construction began in 1665, in the 19th year of the reign of the Yongli Emperor, during the Southern Ming Dynasty, by Zheng Jing, the son of Koxinga, following a suggestion by Chief Military Aide Chen Yonghua, and completed in 1666. The temple had a Guoxue (National School) on its grounds, which is reputed to have been Taiwan's first official Chinese school. It also had a Minglung Hall adjacent to the temple.

In 1685, during the 24th year of the reign of the Kangxi Emperor, the Qing Dynasty official and Taiwan governor Jiang Yuying (蔣毓英) repaired and renamed the temple Xian Shi Sheng Miao (先師聖廟, translating as "Supreme Teacher Holy Temple" or "Holy Temple of the Great Teacher"; also spelled 先師廟), although it was popularly known as Wen Miao (文廟, literally "Temple of Learning"). The Taiwan Prefecture College was also established there.

The temple has been renovated several times over the past 300 years, most recently in 1917 and 1979.[1] Some of its elements include the Stone Arch of Higher Learning and the East Ta Cheng Arch.

The temple serves as a popular tourist attraction and also preserves ancient Confucian ceremonies, which are conducted on a regular basis. The temple also includes storerooms for the ritual implements and musical instruments that are used in these ceremonies.