SCImago Journal & Country Rank

The rites of sacrifice to Confucius are connected with the concept of shi dian – the ritual of sacrifice a cup of wine. In China, this ritual has evolved over time from a simple form to a complex regulated ceremony that includes animal sacrifices, dances and musical accompaniment. Sacrifices were made in family, private Confucius temples, as well as in temples at educational institutions of different administrative levels. The state cult of Confucius is associated with a ceremonial performed in temple at the state academy with the participation of high-ranking officials. The model of Confucius worship that had developed in China was adopted for imitation by the state of Jin. The formation of the cult of Confucius in the Jurchen culture is closely related to the process of sinification of their lives. Sacrifice to Confucius begin with the reign of the third Jurchen ruler Xi-tsung. From the moment of the first sacrifice in 1141 until the death of the state, a lot of Confucius temples were built in Jin, rituals were performed there, hoping for the patronage of Confucius and the prosperity of the state.

Key words: Jin, jurchen, sinification, worship of Confucius, shi dian ritual

DOI: 10.22250/20728662_2022_4_68

Download the paper (PDF)

About the author

Marina A. Khaymurzina – PhD (Philosophy), Associate Professor at Chinese Department, Amur State University;
21 Ignatyevskoe Shosse, Blagoveshchensk, 675027, Russia; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.