Taiwan Today

September 28 is the 2525th anniversary of the birth of Confucius, who lived from 551 to 479 B.C. The birthday of China's great sage and teacher is observed at temples throughout the Republic of China. Rituals at dawn are as close as historians can make them to those of K'ung Fu-tzu's own time. Ceremonies are held later in the day to honor teachers, for whom Confucius is the patron saint. The stately dance shown here is performed by 36 primary school boys dressed in yellow robes.

 

 

 

Hundreds of foreigners attend the Confucius birthday rites in Taipei each year. Drums are heard for the second time and a bell sounds as the musicians and dancers are summoned . The dance is performed  by adolescent boys formed into six rows of six dancers each. They hold the yueh, a short flute, in their left hand and the ti, a pheasant feather, in their right. The civil dance (as opposed to military dances in which weapons are wielded) is known as yi, which literally means "row." Sacrificial animals  are the ox, sheep or goat and pig. These sacrifices were prescribed in ceremonies held more than 2,000 years ago. When the 90-minute rites are completed, there is a big scramble among the spectators to get a wisdom-conferring hair from one of the animals. Among those attending the Taipei ceremony is Confucius' 77th lineal descendant.

 

 

 

 

 

An orchestra of 62 musicians clad in purple robes and black hats plays the ancient court music for the Confucius birthday observance. From top left, clockwise: The drum is placed on the west side of the Gate of Rites, while the bell is on the east side. Both are sounded frequently. The pian ching is made of 16 pieces of tuned stone arranged in two rows. The ti is a flute with a haunting sweet sound, and the hsun is a ceramic instrument with a bright sound like that of the ocarina. Confucius loved music. Having heard that of the Sage King Shun, he lost his taste for meat for three months.