Xiangtan Confucian Temple holds autumn ceremony to honor Confucius and inherit Chinese etiquette and civilization

China News Service, Xiangtan, September 29 (Tang Yahui) Pay homage to the ancestors and remember the sages. On September 28, the Xiangtan Confucian Temple’s Autumn Commemoration Ceremony for Confucius was held at the Xiangtan Confucian Temple in Hunan. The ceremony strictly followed the etiquette of the traditional Confucian temple and carried out orthodox ancient rituals such as welcoming the gods, offering gifts, reading out memorial texts, and sending off the gods. It was accompanied by intangible ancient music, Liuyi dance ritual music performances, and thousands of people reciting Chinese classics, fully demonstrating the essence of Chinese etiquette civilization.

The Xiangtan Confucian Temple’s autumn ceremony to commemorate Confucius. Photo by Tang Yahui

The Confucius Ceremony is a grand ceremony held by the Chinese nation to respect and commemorate Confucius. It has a history of more than 2,000 years. The activity of worshiping Confucius began in 478 BC. Initially, it was once every autumn. By the Eastern Han Dynasty, spring and autumn sacrifices were implemented. As a provincial cultural relic protection unit in Hunan, the Xiangtan Confucian Temple located on the Zhaotan Academy campus of Hunan University of Science and Technology was built in the early years of Shaoxing in the Southern Song Dynasty and has a history of nearly a thousand years.

The scene of the Confucius Memorial Ceremony. Photo by Tang Yahui

On that day, the Confucian Temple was solemn and solemn, with drums beating loudly. The heavy Dacheng Gate slowly opened. Guests, teachers and students of universities and people from all walks of life wore Confucian scarves, tidied their clothes, and climbed up the steps on both sides. Under the guidance of the officiating officer dressed in Chiluo clothes, the participants paid homage to their ancestors and recalled the sages, and then performed household opening, welcoming ceremony, flower basket presentation, and reading of blessings. In accordance with the three rituals of offering sacrifices to Confucius in ancient academies, the official ceremony expresses respect for the ancient sages and sages with a classic ceremony that spans ancient and modern times. The Liuyi dance ceremony and music performance was combined with the intangible cultural heritage ancient music, and the reading of selected excerpts from Confucian classics such as "The Analects of Confucius" made the ancient Confucian ritual system come alive in the present.

The scene of the Confucius Memorial Ceremony. Photo by Tang Yahui

In recent years, Hunan University of Science and Technology has rooted in the profound cultural heritage of the Confucian Temple, combined academic research, education with the culture of the Confucian Temple, and promoted the restoration of the 84-year-old official ceremony to worship Confucius, making Xiangtan Confucian Temple, a local carrier of Confucianism, more academic and influential. This event was co-sponsored by Biquan Academy of Xiangtan University and Zhaotan Academy of Hunan University of Science and Technology, further gathering academic strength and social resources of universities and promoting the living inheritance of traditional ritual and music culture.

After the memorial ceremony, activities such as "The Second Combination" and the Modern Interpretation of Confucius' Thoughts and the Modern Transformation and Application of Confucian Temple will be held. Guests will deliver keynote speeches and round-table discussions on core topics such as the implementation of the "Two Combinations", inheritance of the cultural context of Huxiang Academy, activation of the cultural front of the Confucian Temple, cultivating people with virtues in traditional culture, and popularization and innovation of social science culture, sorting out academic results, forming consensus, and providing academic support for the innovative development of traditional culture. (over)