"A Date with Confucius II" is on display at the Tainan Confucius Temple, where traditional furniture meets contemporary design.

"A Date with Confucius II" was launched, with traditional furniture and contemporary design having a dialogue in the Confucius Temple. Artist Li Mancai explains the work "Chair". (Provided by Tainan Confucius Temple Cultural Foundation)

During the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, in addition to admiring the moon and eating mooncakes, you can also visit the Tainan Confucius Temple! To celebrate the 360th anniversary of the founding of the Tainan Confucius Temple, "A Date with Confucius II: Chow Chair and Engagement Chair—Full Life Cycle Furniture Theme Exhibition" is on display. From the Chou Chair at the beginning of life to the engagement chair that makes a life covenant, the furniture connects memories of growth, family, and culture.

The exhibition is on display at the Tainan Confucius Temple from now until September 28. It continues last year's theme of "Sit at the Confucius Temple and See Taiwan." This year, it further moves from "furniture and place" to "full life cycle", putting furniture into different stages of life. The "Chou Chair" symbolizes an important moment in a child's growth, while the "Engagement Chair" represents the entry into marriage and the establishment of a family. The two chairs, one behind the other, connect the life journey from growing up to starting a family.

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Lu Yuanhua, host of the Yokoyama USR program at Shute University of Science and Technology, said that last year we started from "seat" and this year moved further toward "life cycle". We hope that through the combination of furniture, crafts and cultural fields, design will not only be a display of works, but also a way to understand tradition, respond to life and connect with places.

Artist Li Mancai shared his "couch" work, emphasizing the formal beauty and structural beauty of fine woodwork, and incorporating the symbolic image of "Heluo Book", using tapered holes on the couch surface to achieve "mountain ventilation" and highlight the cultural quality of craftsmanship.

This exhibition also puts century-old furniture and contemporary design into the historical site of the Confucius Temple, allowing old furniture and new ideas to dialogue with each other. Ye Chongli, CEO of the Tainan Confucius Temple Cultural Foundation, said that the Confucius Temple was built in 1665 during the Ming and Zheng dynasties and was the first temple in Taiwan. This time, centuries-old furniture from the original collection of Guangsheng Building, a city-designated historic site, is also included in the exhibition, so that cultural assets are not only preserved, but also brought back into modern life.

In addition to Zhou Xi Chair and Engagement Chair, the "Pair of Musical Chairs" made of two chairs echoing the concept are also on display at the Entrance Gate Verandah. In addition, 15 winning models of the "Furniture·Symbiotic City" design competition were unveiled.

Visit the Tainan Confucius Temple during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the full life cycle furniture themed exhibition will attract your attention. (Provided by Tainan Confucius Temple Cultural Foundation)