Study On The Communication And Cultural Function Of Confucian Temple Worship In Taiwan

As a symbol of Chinese culture,Confucius has an irreplaceable role in the historical progress of the Chinese nation.The main activity of worshiping Confucius in the Confucian Temple is referred to as the "Confucius Worship",and the continuation of the ceremony symbolizes the inheritance of "Confucian Enlightenment".After thousands of years of historical change,from the "National Code" of the feudal dynasty to the "Folk Festival" of the modern society,the ancient Confucius worship is still a cultural phenomenon until today that cannot be ignored.In this paper,it focuses on the Confucius worship in Taiwan,and examines the existence of Confucius Temple worship in the local area based on the reports by Taiwan newspaper media.Four major newspapers in Taiwan are selected-"China Times","United Daily News","Apple Daily" and "Free Times",and the content analysis is conducted for the 264 reports of these four newspapers from 2010 to 2017 on the Confucius Temple worship.With the analysis of reporting time,reporting area,reporting issues,and reporting keynotes,it can be found from the media representation that the Confucian temple worship still plays an important role in Taiwan.The Confucian worship are scattered throughout Taiwan’s counties and cities,which is held every spring and autumn and has never been broken.The Confucius Temple worship in Taiwan are both in official and folk.The official worship lasts the ritual characteristics,and is regularly performed at regular intervals.The folk worship exists as the form of folk religious belief,which infiltrates in human daily life and thinking.As a cultural symbol,the Confucius Temple worship has penetrated into all aspects of Taiwan’s society,playing a role in spreading culture,educating and constructing identity.Seeing from the"a ritual view of communication",the Confucius Temple worship itself is a kind of ritual communication,and is also a kind of cultural communication.The tradition of Confucius Temple worship lasts the bloodline of the nation from the past to the present,and has built and maintained an orderly and meaningful cultural space in Taiwan.Since the separation of Taiwan and the mainland from 1949,the bloodline of Chinese culture is still kept in Taiwan although the bloodline of Chinese culture are separated.It is a peculiar cultural phenomenon,and in this paper,it will explain the cultural causes of the continuation of the Confucius Temple worship in Taiwan from the perspective of cultural memory.It is precisely because of the power of cultural memory,the relationship between Taiwan and mainland China can be separated and then connected in the case of geographical and political separation.It is precisely because of the power of cultural communication,the cross-strait relation can break the political barrier,and achieve real human connection and cultural identity through cultural communication.Culture is the bloodline of the nation,both Taiwan and mainland China have the same Confucian gene.As the“greatest common denominator" identified by Taiwan and mainland China,the Confucius Temple worship can become an important link for cross-strait cultural exchanges.Taking the joint Confucian worship in Taiwan and mainland China as a platform,it can promote mutual cultural identity between the two areas,and provide cultural support for the unification.