The legacy of educational space in China: the transformation of the Jiangyin Confucian temple in the early twentieth century

The Confucian temple (Kong miao孔庙) was the most important official educational institution and the centre of local education in ancient China. This study explores the history of the Confucian temple in Jiangyin (江阴) as a case to reveal the dynamics of educational reform in China, which had witnessed the collision of Chinese and Western educational philosophies and the former's accommodation of the latter. The history of the Confucian temple and its educational space from the eleventh century to the present reveal an alternation between unity and separation; between an ancient Confucian sacred space and a modern social educational institution; and between elitist and egalitarian functions. In this story of architecture and landscape, the juxtaposition and integration of Chinese and Western beliefs becomes evident. The inheritance and transformation of educational space also demonstrates that educational and cultural resources have the potential for adaptation in the course of historical development.