Confucianism, also known as the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, has been revered by Confucian scholars throughout history. It originated in China and profoundly influenced neighboring East Asian regions as a mainstream cultural philosophy, ethical system, and religious framework.
Since the establishment of the first Confucius Temple at the former residence of Confucius in Qufu during the Warring States period, followed by Emperor Liu Bang of the early Han Dynasty personally paying imperial homage to demonstrate respect for Confucius, Confucius Temples expanded across China and numerous East Asian regions over the subsequent two millennia. These temples became tangible embodiments of Confucian thought, deeply embedded in national institutions and collective memory while remaining vibrant in societal life. During the Tang Dynasty, the imperial decree of 630 AD mandated "all prefectural and county schools to build Confucius Temples," leading to the nationwide implementation of the "integration of temple and school" (庙学合一) system. By the Ming and Qing dynasties, every administrative division (prefecture, department, county) established official schools accompanied by Confucius Temples. Additionally, academies (书院), community schools (社学), and private schools (私塾) also enshrined Confucius. This intertwining of education, imperial examinations, and rituals of Confucian worship formed a fundamental characteristic of pre-modern China and a distinctive feature of traditional Chinese society.
The Confucian culture dataset released by CnOpenData systematically compiles information on Chinese Confucius Temples, Ming Dynasty academies, Ming Dynasty schools, Ming-Qing chastity archways (贞节牌坊), and Guandi Temples (关帝庙). This dataset provides robust support for scholars to advance research on Confucian culture.
Data Description
Ming Dynasty Schools: In 1369 (the second year of Emperor Hongwu's reign), an imperial decree mandated the establishment of schools—prefectural schools (府学), departmental schools (州学), and county schools (县学)—across all administrative divisions.
- Confucius Temple Information: Covers 24 provinces/municipalities, 691 entries.
- Ming-Qing Chastity Archways: Covers 26 provinces/municipalities, 839 entries.
- Academy Details: Covers 24 provinces/municipalities, 1,961 entries.
- School Details: Covers 24 provinces/municipalities, 1,496 entries.
- Guandi Temple Information: Covers 30 provinces/municipalities, 3,000 entries.
Field Display
Sample Data
Confucius Temple Information Table
Ming Dynasty Academy Information Table
Ming Dynasty School Information Table
Ming-Qing Chastity Archways Information Table
Guandi Temple Information Table
Data Update Frequency
No updates