Kung Te-cheng

K'ung Te-ch'eng (zh-cpw|c=孔德成|p=Kǒng Déchéng|w=K'ung Te-ch'eng) (born 23rd February, 1920) is a 77th generation descendant of Confucius, and is considered the head of the main line of descent. In the Republic of China, he holds the title of Sacrificial Official to Confucius (a hereditary position for performing official rites). He helped formulate and is in charge of officiating the modern Confucius ceremony held annually in Taiwan. He also holds professorships at National Taiwan University, Fu Jen Catholic University, and Soochow University.

Biography

Kung was born in his family estate at Qufu, Shandong. Shortly after his birth, he was appointed Duke Yansheng by President Xu Shichang in accordance with an imperial tradition dating back to 1055 of bestowing the title on the eldest male in each generation of the main line of descent. His father, Kung Ling yi, died before Kung Te-cheng's birth. Kung Te-cheng became the last person to be granted the centuries-old dukedom when the title was abolished by the Nationalist Government in 1935 and replaced with that of Sacrificial Official to Confucius (大成至聖先師奉祀官, literally "Sacrificial Officer of the Great Accomplished and Most Sacred Teacher").

His ancestor the 72nd lineal descendant married a daughter of the Qianlong Emperor. He is married to Sun Chi-fang, the great-granddaughter of the Qing dynasty scholar-official and first president of Peking University Sun Jianai, whose Shouxian, Anhui, family created one of the first business combines in modern-day China that included the largest flour mill in Asia, the Fou Foong Flour Company. His son, Kung Wei-yi, the 78th lineal descendant, died in 1989. His grandson, Kung Tsui-chang, was born in 1975, the 79th lineal descendant, and his great-grandson, Kung Yu-jen, the 80th lineal descendant, was born in Taipei on January 1, 2006. His sister, Kong Demao, lives in mainland China and has written a book about her experiences growing up at the family estate in Qufu. Another sister, Kong Deqi, died as a young woman.

He was a member of the National Assembly of the Republic of China from 1946 to 1991 and helped draft the 1947 Constitution of the Republic of China. From 1956 to 1964 he was director of the National Palace Museum in Taipei. Kung served as President of the Examination Yuan from 1984 to 1993. He was a senior advisor to the President of the Republic of China from 1948 to 2000.

External links

* [http://confucius.cca.gov.tw/english/celebrate/celebrate.htm Taiwan Confucian Temple ceremony]
* [http://www.ct.taipei.gov.tw Taipei Confucian Temple local website]
*zh icon [http://www.gdjh.tcc.edu.tw/wcjswebcai/87cai/01/t2-4.htm List of direct descendants of Confucius]
* [http://www.kong.org.cn Website of the Kong/K'ung family (mainly in Chinese)]

References

Kong Demao, "The House of Confucius", (London: Hodder and Staughton, 1988).