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Birthday of Confucius

The 27th day of the 8th month of the Lunar Calendar


Confucianism has enjoyed a long history and has a profound influence in China. Today, many places around the world celebrate the Birthday of Confucius (Kongzi) with a worshipping ceremony. There are no temples dedicated to the worship of Confucius in Hong Kong, and therefore every year, the Confucian Academy has to rent a sizable venue to organize the ceremonies in connection with the celebration of the birthday of Confucius. In recent years that venue was the Queen Elizabeth Stadium.

Confucianism


Confucius was born in the Kingdom of Lu (what is at present Qu Fu of Shandong Province). He is an educator and philosopher of the Spring and Autumn Period, and was revered as “the Saint”, “the Supreme Teacher” and “the Model of all teachers of all time”. He advocated the thoughts of “kindness”, “rites”, “education through ethical rule”, and was upheld as the founder of Confucianism. He passed away in 479 B.C at the age of 73. His thoughts have been passed down the ages and pervaded through every aspect of Chinese living and culture, influencing even the neighbouring regions.

The Ceremony of Worshipping Confucius


According to the Books of History, the worship of Confucius by the Imperial Emperor began in the 12th year in the reign of Emperor Gaozu of Han Dynasty (195 B.C.E). During the reign of Emperor Wudi of Han Dynasty, he held Confucianism in supreme regard and dismissed all other schools of thought. This helped to establish the predominant status of Confucianism. It is also the reason why the rites passed down over the ages display a hint of Han Dynasty styles. During the Republican Era, the ceremony of worship of Confucius was simplified, though from a modern perspective it remains highly elaborate, with each detail performed to great exaction.

The Arrangement of the Altar


At the Queen Elizabeth Stadium where the Confucius was worshipped, a portrait of Confucius was placed at the centre of the altar with couplets of praise placed on both sides. Various offerings are placed in front of the statue, including roast suckling pig, chicken, fish, as well as birthday buns, assorted biscuits and fruit. There was a “cleansing compartment” on the left side of the altar in which a mirror and a washing basin are placed to allow worshippers to tidy up their appearance and clean up their mind before the worship

Han Dynasty rites


Numerous guests attended the ceremony by invitation, including representatives of different religions. They would offer flowers to the altar, followed by the ceremony of “offering to the saint”. Two rite-bearers sounded drums and bells on the two sides of the altar to gather the crowd. The principal rite-conductor and 5 associate rite conductors would take their positions. Man would wear crowns of rite and don Han-style robes; women would also be dressed in Han-style attire.

They would first conduct the “rite of cleansing”, followed by the “rite of incense offering”, “rite of first offering”, “rite of reciting the salutation”, “rite of second offering”, “rite of third offering”, “rite of bidding farewell to the god”, and “rite of immolation”. As no burning of objects is allowed in the stadium, the offerings and the salutation would be placed in an urn called “the container of immolation”.

Every act of worship performed by the worshipper involved circling the altar and bowing thrice. At the end, all participants would recite the passage The Commonwealth of Great Unity written by Confucius. From this brief but solemn ceremony of worship one can see the great importance Confucianism attached to worship, rites and costumes, and every step wass illustrative to the respect toward the “Supreme Teacher” Confucius.

   



   

The Eight-row Dance


On the 10th Anniversary of the reunification of Hong Kong with Mainland China, the Confucian Academy of Hong Kong organized at the Hong Kong Stadium the “Worldwide Ceremony of the Worship of Confucius”, with a turnout of over ten thousand. A 200-strong team from Qu Fu of Shandong was also invited to participate in the traditional ceremony, re-enacting the Confucian worship procedures as conducted by the Emperor of Han some two millennia ago.


The Eight-row Dance performed in the ceremony was participated by 64 Yisheng (a rite dancer). The Yi Dance was a dance of rite performed in the Han Imperial Court, which accentuated neatness and formality. The Eight-row Dance was the highest order of such a form of dance, and was performed only during the heaven worship ceremony of the Emperor. It involved six separate passages of songs, each composed by 8 lines of poetry of 4 character each – a total of 32 characters. Each Yisheng would hold a tail feather (a dance instrument) in the right hand, and a short Chinese flute in the left hand (a musical instrument), and dance in harmony with the poetry. Each character and movement would serve to demonstrate the life, thoughts, political views and educational ideals of Confucius.
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The 27th day of the 8th month of the Lunar Calendar


Confucianism has enjoyed a long history and has a profound influence in China. Today, many places around the world celebrate the Birthday of Confucius (Kongzi) with a worshipping ceremony. There are no temples dedicated to the worship of Confucius in Hong Kong, and therefore every year, the Confucian Academy has to rent a sizable venue to organize the ceremonies in connection with the celebration of the birthday of Confucius. In recent years that venue was the Queen Elizabeth Stadium.

Confucianism


Confucius was born in the Kingdom of Lu (what is at present Qu Fu of Shandong Province). He is an educator and philosopher of the Spring and Autumn Period, and was revered as “the Saint”, “the Supreme Teacher” and “the Model of all teachers of all time”. He advocated the thoughts of “kindness”, “rites”, “education through ethical rule”, and was upheld as the founder of Confucianism. He passed away in 479 B.C at the age of 73. His thoughts have been passed down the ages and pervaded through every aspect of Chinese living and culture, influencing even the neighbouring regions.

The Ceremony of Worshipping Confucius


According to the Books of History, the worship of Confucius by the Imperial Emperor began in the 12th year in the reign of Emperor Gaozu of Han Dynasty (195 B.C.E). During the reign of Emperor Wudi of Han Dynasty, he held Confucianism in supreme regard and dismissed all other schools of thought. This helped to establish the predominant status of Confucianism. It is also the reason why the rites passed down over the ages display a hint of Han Dynasty styles. During the Republican Era, the ceremony of worship of Confucius was simplified, though from a modern perspective it remains highly elaborate, with each detail performed to great exaction.

The Arrangement of the Altar


At the Queen Elizabeth Stadium where the Confucius was worshipped, a portrait of Confucius was placed at the centre of the altar with couplets of praise placed on both sides. Various offerings are placed in front of the statue, including roast suckling pig, chicken, fish, as well as birthday buns, assorted biscuits and fruit. There was a “cleansing compartment” on the left side of the altar in which a mirror and a washing basin are placed to allow worshippers to tidy up their appearance and clean up their mind before the worship

Han Dynasty rites


Numerous guests attended the ceremony by invitation, including representatives of different religions. They would offer flowers to the altar, followed by the ceremony of “offering to the saint”. Two rite-bearers sounded drums and bells on the two sides of the altar to gather the crowd. The principal rite-conductor and 5 associate rite conductors would take their positions. Man would wear crowns of rite and don Han-style robes; women would also be dressed in Han-style attire.

They would first conduct the “rite of cleansing”, followed by the “rite of incense offering”, “rite of first offering”, “rite of reciting the salutation”, “rite of second offering”, “rite of third offering”, “rite of bidding farewell to the god”, and “rite of immolation”. As no burning of objects is allowed in the stadium, the offerings and the salutation would be placed in an urn called “the container of immolation”.

Every act of worship performed by the worshipper involved circling the altar and bowing thrice. At the end, all participants would recite the passage The Commonwealth of Great Unity written by Confucius. From this brief but solemn ceremony of worship one can see the great importance Confucianism attached to worship, rites and costumes, and every step wass illustrative to the respect toward the “Supreme Teacher” Confucius.

   



   

The Eight-row Dance


On the 10th Anniversary of the reunification of Hong Kong with Mainland China, the Confucian Academy of Hong Kong organized at the Hong Kong Stadium the “Worldwide Ceremony of the Worship of Confucius”, with a turnout of over ten thousand. A 200-strong team from Qu Fu of Shandong was also invited to participate in the traditional ceremony, re-enacting the Confucian worship procedures as conducted by the Emperor of Han some two millennia ago.


The Eight-row Dance performed in the ceremony was participated by 64 Yisheng (a rite dancer). The Yi Dance was a dance of rite performed in the Han Imperial Court, which accentuated neatness and formality. The Eight-row Dance was the highest order of such a form of dance, and was performed only during the heaven worship ceremony of the Emperor. It involved six separate passages of songs, each composed by 8 lines of poetry of 4 character each – a total of 32 characters. Each Yisheng would hold a tail feather (a dance instrument) in the right hand, and a short Chinese flute in the left hand (a musical instrument), and dance in harmony with the poetry. Each character and movement would serve to demonstrate the life, thoughts, political views and educational ideals of Confucius.
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Birthday of Confucius

The 27th day of the 8th month of the Lunar Calendar


Confucianism has enjoyed a long history and has a profound influence in China. Today, many places around the world celebrate the Birthday of Confucius (Kongzi) with a worshipping ceremony. There are no temples dedicated to the worship of Confucius in Hong Kong, and therefore every year, the Confucian Academy has to rent a sizable venue to organize the ceremonies in connection with the celebration of the birthday of Confucius. In recent years that venue was the Queen Elizabeth Stadium.

Confucianism


Confucius was born in the Kingdom of Lu (what is at present Qu Fu of Shandong Province). He is an educator and philosopher of the Spring and Autumn Period, and was revered as “the Saint”, “the Supreme Teacher” and “the Model of all teachers of all time”. He advocated the thoughts of “kindness”, “rites”, “education through ethical rule”, and was upheld as the founder of Confucianism. He passed away in 479 B.C at the age of 73. His thoughts have been passed down the ages and pervaded through every aspect of Chinese living and culture, influencing even the neighbouring regions.

The Ceremony of Worshipping Confucius


According to the Books of History, the worship of Confucius by the Imperial Emperor began in the 12th year in the reign of Emperor Gaozu of Han Dynasty (195 B.C.E). During the reign of Emperor Wudi of Han Dynasty, he held Confucianism in supreme regard and dismissed all other schools of thought. This helped to establish the predominant status of Confucianism. It is also the reason why the rites passed down over the ages display a hint of Han Dynasty styles. During the Republican Era, the ceremony of worship of Confucius was simplified, though from a modern perspective it remains highly elaborate, with each detail performed to great exaction.

The Arrangement of the Altar


At the Queen Elizabeth Stadium where the Confucius was worshipped, a portrait of Confucius was placed at the centre of the altar with couplets of praise placed on both sides. Various offerings are placed in front of the statue, including roast suckling pig, chicken, fish, as well as birthday buns, assorted biscuits and fruit. There was a “cleansing compartment” on the left side of the altar in which a mirror and a washing basin are placed to allow worshippers to tidy up their appearance and clean up their mind before the worship

Han Dynasty rites


Numerous guests attended the ceremony by invitation, including representatives of different religions. They would offer flowers to the altar, followed by the ceremony of “offering to the saint”. Two rite-bearers sounded drums and bells on the two sides of the altar to gather the crowd. The principal rite-conductor and 5 associate rite conductors would take their positions. Man would wear crowns of rite and don Han-style robes; women would also be dressed in Han-style attire.

They would first conduct the “rite of cleansing”, followed by the “rite of incense offering”, “rite of first offering”, “rite of reciting the salutation”, “rite of second offering”, “rite of third offering”, “rite of bidding farewell to the god”, and “rite of immolation”. As no burning of objects is allowed in the stadium, the offerings and the salutation would be placed in an urn called “the container of immolation”.

Every act of worship performed by the worshipper involved circling the altar and bowing thrice. At the end, all participants would recite the passage The Commonwealth of Great Unity written by Confucius. From this brief but solemn ceremony of worship one can see the great importance Confucianism attached to worship, rites and costumes, and every step wass illustrative to the respect toward the “Supreme Teacher” Confucius.

   



   

The Eight-row Dance


On the 10th Anniversary of the reunification of Hong Kong with Mainland China, the Confucian Academy of Hong Kong organized at the Hong Kong Stadium the “Worldwide Ceremony of the Worship of Confucius”, with a turnout of over ten thousand. A 200-strong team from Qu Fu of Shandong was also invited to participate in the traditional ceremony, re-enacting the Confucian worship procedures as conducted by the Emperor of Han some two millennia ago.


The Eight-row Dance performed in the ceremony was participated by 64 Yisheng (a rite dancer). The Yi Dance was a dance of rite performed in the Han Imperial Court, which accentuated neatness and formality. The Eight-row Dance was the highest order of such a form of dance, and was performed only during the heaven worship ceremony of the Emperor. It involved six separate passages of songs, each composed by 8 lines of poetry of 4 character each – a total of 32 characters. Each Yisheng would hold a tail feather (a dance instrument) in the right hand, and a short Chinese flute in the left hand (a musical instrument), and dance in harmony with the poetry. Each character and movement would serve to demonstrate the life, thoughts, political views and educational ideals of Confucius.
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{{isAutoplayM? 'Stop' : 'Go'}}

The 27th day of the 8th month of the Lunar Calendar


Confucianism has enjoyed a long history and has a profound influence in China. Today, many places around the world celebrate the Birthday of Confucius (Kongzi) with a worshipping ceremony. There are no temples dedicated to the worship of Confucius in Hong Kong, and therefore every year, the Confucian Academy has to rent a sizable venue to organize the ceremonies in connection with the celebration of the birthday of Confucius. In recent years that venue was the Queen Elizabeth Stadium.

Confucianism


Confucius was born in the Kingdom of Lu (what is at present Qu Fu of Shandong Province). He is an educator and philosopher of the Spring and Autumn Period, and was revered as “the Saint”, “the Supreme Teacher” and “the Model of all teachers of all time”. He advocated the thoughts of “kindness”, “rites”, “education through ethical rule”, and was upheld as the founder of Confucianism. He passed away in 479 B.C at the age of 73. His thoughts have been passed down the ages and pervaded through every aspect of Chinese living and culture, influencing even the neighbouring regions.

The Ceremony of Worshipping Confucius


According to the Books of History, the worship of Confucius by the Imperial Emperor began in the 12th year in the reign of Emperor Gaozu of Han Dynasty (195 B.C.E). During the reign of Emperor Wudi of Han Dynasty, he held Confucianism in supreme regard and dismissed all other schools of thought. This helped to establish the predominant status of Confucianism. It is also the reason why the rites passed down over the ages display a hint of Han Dynasty styles. During the Republican Era, the ceremony of worship of Confucius was simplified, though from a modern perspective it remains highly elaborate, with each detail performed to great exaction.

The Arrangement of the Altar


At the Queen Elizabeth Stadium where the Confucius was worshipped, a portrait of Confucius was placed at the centre of the altar with couplets of praise placed on both sides. Various offerings are placed in front of the statue, including roast suckling pig, chicken, fish, as well as birthday buns, assorted biscuits and fruit. There was a “cleansing compartment” on the left side of the altar in which a mirror and a washing basin are placed to allow worshippers to tidy up their appearance and clean up their mind before the worship

Han Dynasty rites


Numerous guests attended the ceremony by invitation, including representatives of different religions. They would offer flowers to the altar, followed by the ceremony of “offering to the saint”. Two rite-bearers sounded drums and bells on the two sides of the altar to gather the crowd. The principal rite-conductor and 5 associate rite conductors would take their positions. Man would wear crowns of rite and don Han-style robes; women would also be dressed in Han-style attire.

They would first conduct the “rite of cleansing”, followed by the “rite of incense offering”, “rite of first offering”, “rite of reciting the salutation”, “rite of second offering”, “rite of third offering”, “rite of bidding farewell to the god”, and “rite of immolation”. As no burning of objects is allowed in the stadium, the offerings and the salutation would be placed in an urn called “the container of immolation”.

Every act of worship performed by the worshipper involved circling the altar and bowing thrice. At the end, all participants would recite the passage The Commonwealth of Great Unity written by Confucius. From this brief but solemn ceremony of worship one can see the great importance Confucianism attached to worship, rites and costumes, and every step wass illustrative to the respect toward the “Supreme Teacher” Confucius.

   



   

The Eight-row Dance


On the 10th Anniversary of the reunification of Hong Kong with Mainland China, the Confucian Academy of Hong Kong organized at the Hong Kong Stadium the “Worldwide Ceremony of the Worship of Confucius”, with a turnout of over ten thousand. A 200-strong team from Qu Fu of Shandong was also invited to participate in the traditional ceremony, re-enacting the Confucian worship procedures as conducted by the Emperor of Han some two millennia ago.


The Eight-row Dance performed in the ceremony was participated by 64 Yisheng (a rite dancer). The Yi Dance was a dance of rite performed in the Han Imperial Court, which accentuated neatness and formality. The Eight-row Dance was the highest order of such a form of dance, and was performed only during the heaven worship ceremony of the Emperor. It involved six separate passages of songs, each composed by 8 lines of poetry of 4 character each – a total of 32 characters. Each Yisheng would hold a tail feather (a dance instrument) in the right hand, and a short Chinese flute in the left hand (a musical instrument), and dance in harmony with the poetry. Each character and movement would serve to demonstrate the life, thoughts, political views and educational ideals of Confucius.
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