Wooden tablet in Ling Hsing Gate

Ling Hsing Gates are entrance gates unique to Confucius temples. Some Confucius temples built their Ling Hsing Gates as honorific arches, but the Taipei Confucius Temple built a temple as its Ling Hsing Gate, and it looks very magnificent. This picture is of the inscribed wooden tablet hung on the beam over the door of the Ling Hsing Gate.

Dragon stone pillars

The dragons wrap around the octagonal stone pillars twice in the Ling Hsing Gate

Decorative studs

There are protruding decorative studs on the doors of Ling Hsing Gate. These kind of protruding studs were originally used in city gates. Later generations set that each door must have 54 protruding studs and so there are 108 studs altogether.

Stone drums

There are stone drums on the left and right of the center door of the Lingxing Gate. The stone drums have spiral decoration on them, and there are napkins carved in the front. These are typical Southem-Fukienese stone drums.

The wooden structures of Lingxing Gate

The Lingxing Gate has several layers of beams to ensure its soundness. There are stone sea-tortoises under the main beam with lion and elephant carvings, which symbolically carry the weight of the roof on their backs.

A "Chinese unicorn carries the sun" decoration

A "Chinese unicorn carries the sun" decoration, made of colorful tiles and plaster, stands in the middle of the ridge of the Lingxing Gate.

Little stone lions

The little stone lions in the comers of the eaves of the Lingxing Gate are said to have the power to drive away evils. The lion is also an auspicious animal, as in the saying "the auspicious lion brings good fortune."

A human figure raises up a water lily

A human figure raises up a water lily in this carving on the stone wall of the Lingxing Gate. It symbolizes the raising of the roof. In the history of Taiwan temples, there are often carvings of barbarians raising the roof.

Chih Wen

On the roof ridge of the Dacheng Hall, Chongsheng Shrine, Gate of Rites, Lingxing Gate, there are clay figurine of animals with dragon heads and fish tails. Such an animal is called “Chih Wen". When Chih Wen disturbs the sea, it will rain. Therefore, the sculpture of this animal was decorated on the roof ridge in order to avoid fires. Therefore, there are dragon-headed, fish-tailed Chih Wen on the roof of the Taipei Confucius Temple, fourteen in all.

He-jing Praising Plum Blossoms

Lin He-jing, an impoverished scholar-gentleman of the northern Song Dynasty, was gentle, honest, and earnest to emulate the wise in the past. With an independent mind, he led a carefree and content life as a hermit at the West Lake of Zhe-jiang for 20 years, quitting fame and wealth. His admirable character was much venerated, and, after his death, was conferred with the honorific title, “Sir He-jing” by the emperor. This panel depicts a scene of Sir Lin reciting his poem in praise of plum trees for their noble and pure character which he had loved and strived to emulate. Source:Beauty of the Koji Pottery Art-Taipei Confucius Temple

Xi-zhis love for Geese

Also known as the Master of the Lan Ting House, Wang Xi-zhi, the great calligrapher of his times, was noted for his passionate love for geese. It is said that he enjoyed watching geese so much and so long that his interest in calligraphy was enhanced and his calligraphy was inspired to form a uniquely famed style of his own. Source:Beauty of the Koji Pottery Art-Taipei Confucius Temple

Yuan-ming Plucks Chrysanthemums

With a lofty and noble cause in life, Tao Yuan-ming rejected fame and gain, leaving his high-ranking post to return home to recluse. He expressed his high aspirations in this poem to show his refreshed love for chrysanthemums, a symbol of a pleasure in natural life in the countryside. Read these lines: I pluck chrysanthemums by the eastrem fence: And see the distant southern mountains. Source:Beauty of the Koji Pottery Art-Taipei Confucius Temple