Ceremony of offering sacrifices to Confucius

The name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: the ceremony of offering sacrifices to Confucius

Applicant: Quzhou City, Zhejiang Province

Item No.: 483

Project No.: Ⅹ - 35

Time of publication: 2011 (the third batch)

Category: folk customs

Region: Zhejiang Province

Type: Extension Project

Applicant: Quzhou City, Zhejiang Province

Protection unit: Quzhou Kongshi Nanzong Temple Management Committee

A brief introduction to the ceremony of offering sacrifices to Confucius (Nankong Festival)

Applicant: Quzhou City, Zhejiang Province

Nanzong's sacrifice to Confucius refers to the routine sacrifice ceremony held in Quzhou's Nanzong Temple by the relatives of Confucius who live in the south.

In the second year of Jianyan in the Southern Song Dynasty (1128), Kong Duanyou, the 48th generation of Confucius' eldest grandson and yanshenggong, went to Yangzhou to accompany the emperor for suburban worship at the order of Zhao Gou, Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty. Then he went to Quzhou in the third year of Jianyan in the Southern Song Dynasty (1129) and was ordered to "take zhouxue as temple" to offer sacrifices to Confucius.

Nanzong's activities of offering sacrifices to Confucius, centered on Quzhou, are widely distributed in the southern residences of Nanzong. The sacrificial activities include four major sacrifices (the first day of Zhongyue in the four seasons), four Zhongding (the tenth day after the great sacrifice), eight minor sacrifices, solar term sacrifices, special sacrifices for birthday and memorial day, and general sacrifices on the first and the fifteenth day of the lunar new year. Broadly speaking, they also include the activities of offering sacrifices to Confucius in Academies under the jurisdiction of Nanzong, as well as the opening ceremony of Nanzong private schools and Scripture reading classes. Nanzong's sacrifice to Confucius lasted for more than 800 years in Quzhou, which was interrupted after liberation. In 2004, it was initiated by Mr. Kong Xiangkai, the eldest son of Nanzong.

The sacrificial ceremony of the Southern Sect of Confucius is a unique activity of offering sacrifices to Confucius, which combines national sacrifices (official sacrifices), family sacrifices and people sacrifices. It is of great significance to inherit the fine tradition of the Chinese nation and enhance the cohesion of Chinese people at home and abroad.