1539 TAIWAN - Tainan Confucian Temple

The Tainan Confucius Temple, also called the Scholarly Temple, was built in 1665, when the warlord Cheng Ching, son of Koxinga, approved of the proposal by Chief of General Staff Chen Yung-hua to construct the Temple on the right side and the National Academy. On the east side stood Ming-Lun Hall, built as a place for instructors to offer lectures and cultivate intellectuals. On the west side was the sanctuary called Ta-Cheng Hall (Hall of Great Achievement), housing the mortuary tablet of Confucius, as well as those of his distinguished disciples.

In 1685, soon after the island of Formosa was annexed by the Qing Dynasty, began the efforts to renovate the Wen Miao and to transform the Ta-Cheng Hall into Taiwan Prefecture Academy. Since then, the compound has been renovated and expanded several times. After 1895, when Japan began its rule of Taiwan, the Wen Miao was once again used as a public school and military barracks and was considerably damaged. A major renovation in 1917, under which some parts of the construction were torn down, resulted in the scale and structure of the Wen Miao as it is today. In nowadays the temple serves as a tourist attraction and also preserves ancient Confucian ceremonies, which are conducted on a regular basis.

About the stamps
The first stamp is part of the third set of the series Taiwanese Berries, about which I wrote here.

The second stamp is part of the series Ancient Chinese Art Treasures - Blue and White Porcelain, issued on September 19, 2014:
• Dish decorated with floral design in underglaze blue, Qing Dynasty (5 TWD)
• Jar decorated with peony pattern in underglaze blue, Ming Dynasty (10 TWD) - it's on the postcard
• Jar decorated with dragon design and character “shou” in underglaze blue, Ming Dynasty (12 TWD)
• Flat vase decorated with ladies in underglaze blue, Qing Dynasty (20 TWD)

References
Taiwan Confucian Temple - Wikipedia

Sender: Elena Chen (direct swap)
Sent from Taoyuan City (Taoyuan / Taiwan), on 25.09.2014