Unicorn painting

The inside wall of the Wan Jen Palace Wall has a Chinese unicorn painted on it. The unicorn stands on four treasures, symbolizing bringing luck and fortune.

Stone pillars

There are numerous huge pillars inside the Ling Hsing Gate. All these pillars are carved out of Chuanchow white stone. These pillars are all very simple but elegant. The reason there are no poems carved on the pillars is to follow the ancient rule of “not daring to show off one ‘s literary skill in front of Confucius.

The brackets under the eave of the East Room

In the Southern-Fukienese style the brackets are often decorated as hornless dragons. They look flowing and decorative.

The wooden structure of Chongsheng Shrine

The wooden structure of the Chongsheng Shrine is built in the "three beams and five melons” style. Note that all the melon pillars have long whiskers to wrap around the beam. On the top is a carving of a lion. This kind of frame combines excellent structural engineering with great artistic beauty.

No couplets or inscriptions

Confucius temples are distinguished from other temples by the lack of couplets on the temple columns, windows and doorways. The reasoning is that no one would dare to flaunt their literary skills in front of Confucius.

The Chi-tou of the East Room

Flower Vase: The Chinese character "vase," pronounced as 'ping,' sounds like the word, 'ping-an' meaning "safe and sound." They are always shown together with flowers of four seasons to symbolize "safe and sound and well throughout the whole year." Basket of Flowers: A basket of flowers is constantly seen together with a tablet held by an official, a monolith, a drum and a gourd to be contained in a picture of "Five Lucks." Also, a basket of flowers is the emblem of Lan Cai-he, a member of "The Eight Immortals." It symbolizes "longevity"; it is used to congratulate an elder person on his or her birthday. Peony: Peony or 'mu-dan' is Queen of Flowers, which is an emblem of wealth and distinction. Pumpkin: A pumpkin, also known as "Golden Melon" for its gold-yellowish flesh with many seeds. It is generally used to represent "many children and many blessings." This work features flowers shown together with vases to symbolize "safe and sound throughout the year." Also, the use of a basket of flowers, peonies and a pumpkin respectively are representing longevity, distinction and, many children with many blessings. Source:Beauty of the Koji Pottery Art-Taipei Confucius Temple

The Chi-tou of the West Romn

Orchid: An orchid is a symbol of nice friendship. In ancient times, irises and orchids were used to imply "noble character, true friendship or beautiful surroundings." Saying "going into a room full of fragrant orchid," we mean, "benefiting from making friends with nice people of a noble character." Hence, people usually call their close friends "Friendship of Irises and Orchid." This work uses orchids to promote the character of a gentleman by stressing the importance of choosing friends for life. It reminds of a Chinese saying, "he who stays near vermillion gets stained red and stays near ink gets stained black," or "he takes the color of his company as what's near cinnabar goes red and what's next to ink turns black." Incense Burner: A symbol of offerings to worship gods, it stands for sticks, flowers, lam, and fruits to be used to rid bad thoughts and helps attain a peace of mind. The smoke it produces can take our sincere prayers skyward to be heard. It wards off troubles, disasters, and brings good luck to us. Source:Beauty of the Koji Pottery Art-Taipei Confucius Temple