The “Premier Academy of Taiwan” (全台首學) has more than three hundred years of history as a Confucian temple, and it would be safe to say that this place is the heart of Tainan as an ancient capital of culture. The seemingly impenetrable red wall which stretches along Nanmen Road (南門路) is of sacred appearance in the sunlight, and embodies the unique charm of the ancient city of Tainan, which has this historical Confucian temple sitting at its heart. Linking together old blocks and historic sites such as the Great South Gate (大南門), Fuzhong Street (府中街) and the Koxinga Shrine (延平郡王祠,) the streets and alleys around it have an ancient air.
Every year on September 28th by 5am, before the break of dawn, the main hall will long have become full of people attending the ceremony to commemorate the birthday of the Great Sage Confucius, the temple’s grandest event of the year. When visiting the Confucian Temple, do not forget to ask the great teacher himself for some words of wisdom! Every year once the ceremony is complete, throngs of people will head to the main hall to pull a “wisdom hair” from a cow; and it is said that this hair helps to bring wisdom during the following year. When considering pulling a wisdom hair, please remember to bring your own transparent plastic bag or red envelope within which to place the hair, and upon returning home make sure to dry the hair in the sun, or the moisture within the hair will damage it over time. Following the event, the Confucius Temple Management Committee will provide 500 strands of hair for sale by peddlers; if you miss out even on this chance to get a strand, you have to wait until next year to queue up and have another go!
Monday to Sunday 8:30~17:30 (Closed on New Year’s Eve)
