Confucian temples South of the Yangtze

In September 2005, the Chinese Government held a global ceremony of offering sacrifices to Confucius with the main venue at the Confucius Temple in Qufu，Shandong Province. The grand ceremony was televised live by CCTV and it could be seen in most parts of the world. Confucius Temple and the ceremony of offering sacrifices to Confucius have been made well known. The event also showed that the Government had changed its attitude to the elite of traditional Chinese culture and recognized Confucianism. The ceremony of offering sacrifices to Confucius，which had been abolished for over half a century in mainland China，has begun to resume. The Government has attached great importance to the Confucian Temples remaining in various parts of the country，many of which have been renovated or reconstructed.

Confucius Temple， also called the Confucian Temple that was built in other parts of the country， plays an important role in the history of ancient architecture in China. Confucius Temple in Qufu is one of the three major ancient architectural complexes existing in China. The size and structure of local Confucian Temples follow the pattern of the Confucius Temple in Qufu. They not only serve as the temples for offering sacrifices to Confucius， but also as schools run by local government. They are large in number and exist throughout the country. During 1,300 years of development, various styles of Confucian Temples with distinctive local characteristics have emerged all over the country. Confucian Temples south of the Yangtze， as one of the outstanding representatives， were built in the early times， with high building standards， and are in a well-preserved condition.
This book has made textual research and analysis of Confucian Temples south of the Yangtze with respect to historical origin， architectural shapes and slructures， decline and renaissance， the existing situation and the ceremony of offering sacrifices to Confucius， with the purpose of protecting Confucian Temples and providing some basic data for updated research.