When you travel in Asia, many attractions feature temples or shrines. We saw Buddhist temples, Hindu temples, Shinto Temples and finally a temple devoted to Confucius, the famous Chinese scholar. The Confucian Temple was the most interesting. It was extremely colorful; had a pond with koi fish; included a museum of Chinese porcelain; musical instruments; dragons; gargoyles, AND life sized statues of 72 Confucian Scholars individually carved.
This is about one-fourth of the scholars. Each facial feature is different, and each holds something different. Even some of the hairdos are different.
These statues are stone, life sized, and each weighs 1.8 tons. They were carved in an art school in China, and are based on historical records of the 72 scholars of Confucius' time most versed in the Six Arts which are the disciplines cultivated by Confucius' disciples. The Arts are: Virtue, Music, Intellect, Calligraphy, Mathematics, & Physical Skill (ie, archery & charioteering). Inside the temple, are bios of the scholars. The bios assume you have familiarity with the big time Confucian scholars.
As you enter the temple, there are a pair of Bixi, holding up steles which have poems praising Confucius. The steles are borne on the backs of the bixi - the eldest sons of dragons - who enjoy bearing heavy burdens.
The Bixi are outside the lion dogs . In front of the lion dogs and the Bixi is the koi pond with a stone bridge arching across it. Behind the koi pond is Lingxing Gate, the main gate of the shrine. Supposedly, it is the architectural origin of the Japanese torii gate. To each side of the Lingxing Gate are Kai trees, planted in 1893, the year the shrine was founded. You can see one of the koi in the pond.
You can see the edge of the bridge over the pond, and here are some pictures taken from the zenith of the bridge:
When you go through the Yi Gate, you see another set of stairs leading into the main part of the shrine. Centered on the steps is the Imperial Dragon Ramp - only to be used by the Emperor of China who would be carried over it on a palanquin.
After going up these steps, you enter the inner sanctum passing the Huabiao, a pair of decorative stone pillars featuring Dragons, an Imperial symbol of watchful guardianship over the state and observing the lives of the people. The red tags are petitions from students. Additionally, are the Wengzhong, a pair of stone figures - one a military officer and the other a civil official.
Then, it's time to step into the heart of the shrine: The Dacheng Hall which contains the masked figure of Confucius. This portion of the shrine withstood the atomic blast. Under the eaves is the inscription "With education there is no class distinction." The reflects Confucius' belief that education transforms people. In Confucius' time, the pigeons were considered symbols of the unruly or undisciplined. They symbolize even people who are difficult are welcome to learn and grow.
Everything you see in this picture is symbolic. To name them all would quickly have your head reeling. Confucius is the statue behind the gold curtain. He is two meters tall (about 6 feet) and is the largest in Japan. 
There were offerings to him the day we visited including the fresh flowers. Students ask for his blessing (see red tags) as well as burn incense for academic success.
The one symbol which was unmissable were the Qilin, a legendary creature in Chinese mythology who appear when a sage appears. There are a pair in the shrine, one male and one female.
Behind the Qilin are the biographies of some of the 72 scholars. I took more pictures. Some are musical instruments. Some are the tenets of Confucius teachings. Here's Drake, wearing his cap from Okinawa, standing beside a set of ceremonial axes. Behind the shrine was a museum exhibiting Chinese porcelain. (They wouldn't let me take pictures.)
If you want to see more of the Shrine, there are some additional pictures:
We also visited the Glover Garden while we were in Nagasaki. This was originally the Western settlement in Nagasaki after Japan was opened to the world in 1859. One of the most influential Westerners to arrive in Japan was Thomas Blake Glover, founder of Glover & Co. He established the Japan Brewery Company (predecessor of the Kirin Brewery). He was awarded beaucoup of medals for his contribution to the modernization of Japan.
Glover Garden is on top of one of the Nagasaki hills overlooking the harbor. Several Western-style buildings have been brought to the site. Below is the Former Residence of the Head of the Nagasaki District Court.
Today, you can stroll the garden in a costume which is rented in this building.
There were beautiful flowers as well as a koi pond. There was a view of the harbor as well
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| Under a few cherry blossoms |
