Relics of worship on display at Beijing temple

These bells are among the selected articles at the cultural relics exhibition. Photos By Jiang Dong / China Daily

An exhibition featuring a complete set of ancient articles used during worship rituals of Confucius (551-479 BC) is now on display at the Beijing Confucius Temple and the Imperial College.

The cultural relics are from the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. They include around 30 sets of musical instruments, and were selected from a collection of around 2,000 articles from the institution. Visitors can touch the antiques and play ancient musical instruments.

Royal ceremonies to worship Confucius were co-organized by multiple government departments every spring and autumn during the Qing Dynasty, says Wu Zhiyou, director of the Beijing Confucius Temple and the Imperial College. They were hosted by emperors or other high officials.

The rituals were accompanied by music and a dance troupe, and separated into six steps. Similar worship activities were held at Confucius temples around the country.

"That reflects the emperors' homage for old sages and their high praise for Confucius' philosophies, which were crucial for them to rule a feudal society," Wu says.