The Confucian Shrine in Nagasaki is a unique place. It is the only Confucian shrine in the world that is built outside of China by Chinese hands. Moreover, its land is considered Chinese territory. Thus, it is controlled by the Chinese embassy in Tokyo.
The structure was originally built in 1893 as a place of worship and learning for the Nagasaki Chinese community. At its height in popularity, the school enrolled 100 students. The structure endured significant damage from the atomic bomb and was not reopened for a couple of decades.
In 1982, the building underwent additional renovation and a Museum of Chinese History was added along with offices and conference rooms. Almost everything was imported from China. Even though the vivd yellow roof tiles are usually found on the Emperor’s palace and Confucian shrines in China, the Chinese designers chose to use this special architectural style in Nagasaki.
A variety of statues were found on the premises.
The courtyard leading up to the Main Hall has statues representing Confucius’ 72 disciples.
Inside is shrine to Confucius.
Located behind the Main Hall is the small Historical Museum of China. It is has a modest selection of bronze jars, ceramics, jade carvings, painted enamel vases, and other treasures on loan from Chinese museums. It provides a small taste of China in Nagasaki.
Nagasaki’s Confucian Shrine adds to our understanding of the Chinese immigrant’s contributions to life in Nagasaki. It can easily be combined with a walking tour of two notable Nagasaki landmarks- Sofukuji Temple and Kofukuji Temple as well as lesser known Chinese Temples in Nagasaki.
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Sandra’s Bio
Sandra Bornstein is the author of MAY THIS BE THE BEST YEAR OF YOUR LIFE. It is available on Amazon. Sandra’s memoir highlights her living and teaching adventure in Bangalore, India. She is a licensed Colorado teacher who has taught K-12 students in the United States and abroad as well as college level courses. Sandra is married and has four adult sons. The memoir was a finalist in the Travel category for the 2013 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, the 2013 International Book Awards, the 2013 National Indie Book Excellence Awards, the 2013 USA Best Book Awards, and received an Honorable Mention award in the Multicultural Non-Fiction category for the 2013 Global ebook Awards.
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