The Confucian Temple During The Era Of The Republic Of China

Shanghai Confucian Temple which had been rebuilt many times originated from the Southern Song Dynasty,it was not only the place for worship of Confucius, but also the school of scholars to study.Confucian Temple spread political ideas, the glory and dignity of Confucian orthodoxy through the ceremony of sacrifice and scholars' entrance by the leading of the local officials and gentry,which formed a holy place in the hearts of the people in the traditional society.The revolution of 1911 was not only the end of the monarchy but also gave the impact of social order and people's ideas,Shanghai Confucian Temple not only stopped the worship of Confucius in the context of social innovation,but also was occupied by the National group,which used it to preach the idea of republic.However,the extreme disorder of society caused people's perception of the moral value of the Confucian Temple,Yuan Shih-kai also had the intention to establish a new interpretation of the Republican concept in the traditional culture,regarded it as the spirit of the nation and the foundation of social education.So the sacrificial ceremony began from the folk,finally got into the official system.Although the government of Beijing adjusted the ritual of sacrifice and the acknowledge of Confucian classics later,but had remained the same moral sustenance about the Confucian Temple.While the traditional atmosphere is still concentrated in the early Republic of China,the maintenance of the traditional value of the local gentry was not shaken by the agitation of the new culture movement.Although there were some people in order to promote the Confucian doctrine to the public and provide public space for the city,put forward the idea of opening the Confucian Temple in Shanghai,eventually failed to form an effective impact.Shanghai Confucian Temple was hammered once again by the Northern Expedition,the National Revolution has set up a new idol for the society,some Confucian temples were used to sacrifice Sun Yat-sen.The reform and opening of Shanghai Confucian Temple had been inevitable under the appeal of the revolutionary youth and the strong leadership of the Kuomintang regime,the petition of cultural circles which was full of worries for the dignity of the temple had been of littleimportance.Shanghai Confucian Temple finally turned into the mass education museum and public gardens in the early 1930's under the design of the Works Bureau and the bureau of education in Shanghai.The new agency provided a resting place for the public,meanwhile vigorously promote social education and cultivate civic character.When the Shanghai Confucian Temple was restructuring,the battle with Japan broke out,which made the social transformation of the Confucian Temple cast a shadow of the disaster stricken,The natural field of the Confucian Temple therefore assumed to advocate nationalism and stimulate the national will.However,Chiang Kai Shek also intended to use the traditional values to shape the national identity after a period of radical Northern Expedition.When the new life movement began in1934,The national ceremony of Confucianism was held in Shanghai Confucian Temple in the Confucius' s birthday with a series of praise to traditional morality by the central government.Chiang Kai Shek explicitly put the theory of the party and the revolutionary discourse in the field of the Confucian Temple,from the memorial ceremony to the management of Confucian Temple was incorporated into the revolutionary system never before.Many people of insight were look forward to spreading the moral idea of Confucianism and the spirit of republic to the folk through the Confucian Temple in the period of the Republic of China,that converged a kind of care for the past, present and future of Chinese civilization.The fate of Confucian Temple is closely related to Confucianism,which is not only a kind of political domination,but also a principle of life.Whenever the political turmoil comes,Confucianism will be affected,but the stability of society needs the comfort of Confucian principles.However,the Confucian Temple had not been integrated into the folk life during the era of the Republic of China.