介绍夫子庙的英文

Temple of Confucius or Confucian Temple is a temple devoted to the cult of Confucius and the sages and philosophers of Confucianism. Confucian temples are variously known as Confucian Temples (孔庙), Temples of Literature or Culture (文庙), or Temples of the Sage (圣庙). Some are also known as \"Fuzi Miao\" (夫子庙), after Confucius's unLatinised Chinese name: \"Kong Fuzi\" (孔夫子) or \"Master Kong\".

History

The development of state temples devoted to the cult of Confucius was an outcome of his gradual canonisation. In 195 BC, Han Gao Zu, founder of the Han Dynasty (r. 206–195 BCE), offered a sacrifice to the spirit of Confucius at his tomb in Qufu. Sacrifices to the spirit of Confucius and that of Yan Hui, his most prominent disciple, began in the Imperial University (Biyong) as early as 241.

In 454, the first state Confucian temple was built by the Liu Song dynasty of south China (420 to 479). In 489, the Northern Wei constructed a Confucian temple in the capital, the first outside of Qufu in the north. In 630, the Tang dynasty decreed that schools in all provinces and counties should have a Confucian temple, as a result of which temples spread throughout China. Well-known Confucian shrines include the Confucian Temple in Xi'an (now the Forest of Steles), the Fuzi Miao in Nanjing, and the Confucian temple in Beijing, first built in 130

In addition to Confucian temples associated with the state cult of Confucius, there were also ancestral temples belonging to the Kong lineage, buildings commemorating Confucius's deeds throughout China, and private temples within academies.

Structure

Most Confucianist temples were built in Confucian schools, either to the front of or on one side of the school. The front portal of the temple was called the Lingxing Gate (棂星门). Inside there were normally three courtyards, although sometimes there were only two. However, the complex in Qufu has nine courtyards. The main building, situated in the inner courtyard with entry via the Dachengmen (大成门), was usually known as the Dachengdian (大成殿), variously translated as \"Hall of Great Achievement\