County Magistrate Yang, Fang-Sheng built the original temple at this site in the 23rd year of the Kangxi reign (1684). However, only Chongsheng Shrine has remains intact in present day. In the wake of the Chinese Culture Renaissance Movement, Kaohsiung City Government decided to relocate and rebuild the Confucius Temple. The present day compound was completed in 1976 and located on the northern shore of Lotus Pond, adjacent to Mount Banping. It was designed by Chen Bi-Tan and Lu Yu-Feng. The architects drew their inspiration from the Confucius Temple in Qufu, Shandong, and the majestic and magnificent Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City in Beijing. It is a classic example of post-war Northern Palace-style architecture. The temple features numerous reinforced concrete structures modelled after ancient architectural styles including the Dacheng Palace, the Dacheng Gate, the East and West Corridors, the Chongsheng Shrine, the Lingxing Gate, the Gate of Rites and Path of Righteousness, the Hall of Edification and Pangong Arch, the Wanren Gongqiang, and the Pan Pond arch bridge. The entire area covers over 6000 by 1800 m², making it the largest temple compound in Taiwan.
左營／高雄市孔廟
高雄孔廟早在清康熙23年(1684年)由知縣楊芳聲建有聖廟，而隨著風雨的毀損於乾隆康熙年間皆有修建，最終形成了完整的規模，中為大成殿，左右為東西廡，前門為大成門，後為崇聖祠，位於現舊城國小校址內，因日治時期改設為學校而長期使用下逐漸凋零，唯獨崇聖祠現存至今。
隨著中華文化復興運動興起，高雄市政府計畫著另尋他處重建孔廟，現今的高雄孔廟於1976年落成，位於蓮池潭北岸，毗鄰半屏山，建築師為陳碧潭與呂裕豐，其建築的樣式取自山東曲阜孔子廟與故宮太和殿莊嚴宏偉的規模，為典型的戰後北方宮殿樣式建築代表，包括大成殿、大成門、東西廡、崇聖祠、櫺星門、禮門與義路坊、明倫堂與泮宮坊、萬仞宮牆、泮池與拱橋等皆為仿古式樣的鋼筋混泥土建築，該園區佔地六千餘平方公尺，建地為一千八百餘平方公尺，為台灣全台最大的孔廟。
文／黃則維、柳青薰
圖／高雄市立歷史博物館