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Spread Map

Confucianism Spread Map

Where and when Confucianism spread, arrived, was established, declined or was revived, in the places and years the historical record gives.

Map

Confucianism Spread Map Afghanistan Albania Algeria Angola Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Chile China Colombia Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Federated States of Micronesia Fiji Finland France French Polynesia Gabon Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Guam Guatemala Haiti Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kuwait Laos Latvia Lebanon Libya Lithuania Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Mali Malta Mauritius Mexico Moldova Mongolia Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nigeria North Macedonia Norway Oman Pakistan Palestine Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tanzania Thailand Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Vatican City Venezuela Vietnam Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Confucius Teaches In The State Of Lu, China, 551 BCE to 479 BCE, ArrivedQin Shi Huang Burns Books And Buries Scholars, China, 213 BCE to 212 BCE, SuppressedEmperor Wu Establishes Confucianism As Han State Orthodoxy, China, 136 BCE, EstablishedEmperor Ling Approves the Xiping Stone Classics, China, 175, EstablishedEmperor Yang of Sui Creates the Jinshi Examination, China, 605, EstablishedTang Emperor Taizong Orders Confucian Temples in Every Prefecture, China, 630, DominantFan Zhongyan's Qingli Reforms Establish Prefectural Schools Across Song China, China, 1044, EstablishedZhu Xi Rebuilds the White Deer Grotto Academy, China, 1179 to 1180, EstablishedConfucianism Becomes Joseon Korea's State Ideology, Korea, 1392, EstablishedConfucius Sinarum Philosophus Introduces Confucius to Europe in Latin, France, 1687, ArrivedChina's Cultural Revolution Denounces Confucius, China, 1973 to 1976, SuppressedIndonesia Restores Confucianism's Legal Recognition, Indonesia, 2000, RevivedChina's Confucian Revival Forms A National Church, China, 2009 to 2015, RevivedChina's Vice President Addresses the International Confucian Association's Sixth Congress in Beijing, China, 2019, EstablishedThe Nishan Forum Releases a Decade Report on Global Confucianism in Qufu, China, 2023, EstablishedUNESCO Marks Twenty Years of the Confucius Prize for Literacy in Qufu, China, 2025, Established

Point at, tap, or move keyboard focus to a marker for its event, place, year and status.

Marker size and shape show how established the tradition was there: a small filled dot for an arrival, a larger one for an established or dominant presence, and a hollow, distinct marker where it was suppressed or nearly disappeared, never simply absent.

1 event has a recorded place with no map coordinate yet, so it is not marked on the map above: The Qing Court Abolishes the Imperial Examination System (Beijing). It is complete in the list below.

Spoken Chronology

Confucius Teaches In The State Of Lu. China, 551 BCE to 479 BCE, Arrived. Source, Confucius (Wikipedia).

Qin Shi Huang Burns Books And Buries Scholars. China, 213 BCE to 212 BCE, Suppressed. Source, Burning of Books and Burying of Scholars (Wikipedia).

Emperor Wu Establishes Confucianism As Han State Orthodoxy. China, 136 BCE, Established. Source, Dong Zhongshu (New World Encyclopedia).

Emperor Ling Approves the Xiping Stone Classics. China, 175, Established. Source, Remnant Stone Inscriptions of Classic Texts From the Xiping Reign (The Palace Museum).

Emperor Yang of Sui Creates the Jinshi Examination. China, 605, Established. Source, Jinshi Examination (Key Concepts in Chinese Thought and Culture).

Tang Emperor Taizong Orders Confucian Temples in Every Prefecture. China, 630, Dominant. Source, Cult of Confucius: Chronology (Hamilton College).

Fan Zhongyan's Qingli Reforms Establish Prefectural Schools Across Song China. China, 1044, Established. Source, Yuan Zheng, "Local Government Schools in Sung China: A Reassessment," History of Education Quarterly (1994).

Zhu Xi Rebuilds the White Deer Grotto Academy. China, 1179 to 1180, Established. Source, Academies (Shuyuan) (New World Encyclopedia).

Confucianism Becomes Joseon Korea's State Ideology. Korea, 1392, Established. Source, Neo-Confucianism (Wikipedia).

Confucius Sinarum Philosophus Introduces Confucius to Europe in Latin. France, 1687, Arrived. Source, Thierry Meynard, The Jesuit Reading of Confucius: The First Complete Translation of the Lunyu (1687) Published in the West (Brill).

The Qing Court Abolishes the Imperial Examination System. Beijing, 1905, Suppressed. Source, Minister Rockhill Reports the Qing Decree Abolishing the Examination System (Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1905).

China's Cultural Revolution Denounces Confucius. China, 1973 to 1976, Suppressed. Source, Criticize Lin, Criticize Confucius (Wikipedia).

Indonesia Restores Confucianism's Legal Recognition. Indonesia, 2000, Revived. Source, Sejarah Konghucu Jadi Agama Di Indonesia (Klikhukum.id).

China's Confucian Revival Forms A National Church. China, 2009 to 2015, Revived. Source, Holy Confucian Church (Wikipedia).

China's Vice President Addresses the International Confucian Association's Sixth Congress in Beijing. China, 2019, Established. Source, About ICA (International Confucian Association).

The Nishan Forum Releases a Decade Report on Global Confucianism in Qufu. China, 2023, Established. Source, Nishan Forum to Release Report on Confucianism (chinaservicesinfo.com).

UNESCO Marks Twenty Years of the Confucius Prize for Literacy in Qufu. China, 2025, Established. Source, UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy (UNESCO).

Full Chronology

Every recorded spread event for this tradition, in date order, complete: 17 events.

  1. Confucius Teaches In The State Of LuChina, 551 BCE to 479 BCE, Arrived
    Source Confucius (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
  2. Qin Shi Huang Burns Books And Buries ScholarsChina, 213 BCE to 212 BCE, Suppressed
    Source Burning of Books and Burying of Scholars (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
  3. Emperor Wu Establishes Confucianism As Han State OrthodoxyChina, 136 BCE, Established
    Source Dong Zhongshu (New World Encyclopedia)New World Encyclopedia contributors
  4. Emperor Ling Approves the Xiping Stone ClassicsChina, 175, Established
    Source Remnant Stone Inscriptions of Classic Texts From the Xiping Reign (The Palace Museum)
  5. Emperor Yang of Sui Creates the Jinshi ExaminationChina, 605, Established
    Source Jinshi Examination (Key Concepts in Chinese Thought and Culture)
  6. Tang Emperor Taizong Orders Confucian Temples in Every PrefectureChina, 630, Dominant
    Source Cult of Confucius: Chronology (Hamilton College)Thomas A. Wilson
  7. Fan Zhongyan's Qingli Reforms Establish Prefectural Schools Across Song ChinaChina, 1044, Established
    Source Yuan Zheng, "Local Government Schools in Sung China: A Reassessment," History of Education Quarterly (1994)Yuan Zheng
  8. Zhu Xi Rebuilds the White Deer Grotto AcademyChina, 1179 to 1180, Established
    Source Academies (Shuyuan) (New World Encyclopedia)
  9. Confucianism Becomes Joseon Korea's State IdeologyKorea, 1392, Established
    Source Neo-Confucianism (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
  10. Confucius Sinarum Philosophus Introduces Confucius to Europe in LatinFrance, 1687, Arrived
    Source Thierry Meynard, The Jesuit Reading of Confucius: The First Complete Translation of the Lunyu (1687) Published in the West (Brill)Thierry Meynard
  11. The Qing Court Abolishes the Imperial Examination SystemBeijing, 1905, Suppressed
    Source Minister Rockhill Reports the Qing Decree Abolishing the Examination System (Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1905)
  12. China's Cultural Revolution Denounces ConfuciusChina, 1973 to 1976, Suppressed
    Source Criticize Lin, Criticize Confucius (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
  13. Indonesia Restores Confucianism's Legal RecognitionIndonesia, 2000, Revived
    Source Sejarah Konghucu Jadi Agama Di Indonesia (Klikhukum.id)
  14. China's Confucian Revival Forms A National ChurchChina, 2009 to 2015, Revived
    Source Holy Confucian Church (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
  15. China's Vice President Addresses the International Confucian Association's Sixth Congress in BeijingChina, 2019, Established
    Source About ICA (International Confucian Association)
  16. The Nishan Forum Releases a Decade Report on Global Confucianism in QufuChina, 2023, Established
    Source Nishan Forum to Release Report on Confucianism (chinaservicesinfo.com)
  17. UNESCO Marks Twenty Years of the Confucius Prize for Literacy in QufuChina, 2025, Established
    Source UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy (UNESCO)