Kung Te-cheng
Encyclopedia
K'ung Te-ch'eng (23 February 1920 – 28 October 2008) was the 77th generation descendant of Confucius
in the main line of descent
. He was the final person to be appointed Duke Yansheng
and the first Sacrificial Official to Confucius. He helped formulate and was in charge of officiating the modern Confucius ceremony held annually in Taiwan
. In addition to Sacrificial Official, he held numerous posts in the Republic of China
government, including member of the National Assembly
from 1946 to 1991, President of the Examination Yuan
from 1984 to 1993, and senior advisor to the President of the Republic of China
from 1948 to 2000. He held professorships at National Taiwan University
, Fu Jen Catholic University
, and Soochow University
.
, Shandong
. He was the third child and only son of Kong Lingyi (孔令貽), Duke Yansheng by his second concubine, Wang Baocui (王寶翠). His father's name contained the character 令 Ling because it was the generation name
for 76th generation descendants of Confucius. On 6 June 1920, 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, Kong Lingyi, had 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").
in 1937, but Kung declined the offer.
On January 1938, Kung fled the Japanese invasion of Shandong to Hankou
. The Japanese blew up his Sacred Mount Taishan residence. Premier H. H. Kung
, also a descendant of Confucius, greeted Duke Kung Te-cheng as he arrived. TIME magazine addressed him by the title "Duke Kung", and referred to his residence as the "ducal seat".
In response to talk of Japanese offers to make him "ruler of China" Kung said: "I have never even been approached by the Japanese! I consider myself at the orders of the Chinese Government. I am a patriot, ready to take up arms and fight the Japanese as soon as I reach the age of military service—that is 18 years. . . . My wife is expecting a child."
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 adviser to the President of the Republic of China
from 1948 to 2000.
for 77th generation descendants of Confucius. Kung's father, Kong Lingyi (孔令貽) (Qufu
, 1872 - Beijing
8 November 1919), inherited the Dukedom Yansheng
in 1876, upon the death of his father, the 30th Duke Yansheng
. Kong founded a county school in Qufu
and was also president of the Four Clans Teachers' College (founded in conjunction with the descendants of Yan Hui
, Mencius
, and Zeng Zi). In 1889, he was appointed to the Guozijian
. Following the Xinhai Revolution
, Kong was given a government post in the new government, but declined the position. Kong was a supporter of Yuan Shikai
and was given a First Grade Medal and Sash of Auspicious Glory and the rank of Prince of the Second Rank by Yuan
in 1915. He was also sworn brothers
with Zhang Xun
.
Kong Lingyi had a total of four wives. His first wife, Lady Sun (孫氏), was the daughter of Sun Yuwen (孫毓汶) (1833 - 1899), an Imperial Envoy. Lady Sun's grandfather, Sun Ruizhen (孫瑞珍) (1783 - 1858), was a scholar and official during the Guangxu Emperor's
reign. Kong and Lady Sun married in 1888, but she died of illness without issue. Kong's first concubine, Lady Feng, similarly did not have any children. She died in 1928. Kong's second wife, Lady Tao (陶氏), was the daughter and ninth child of Tao Shijun, Magistrate of Daming Prefecture. She bore Kong one son who died at the age of three years. Lady Tao was described as a petty, jealous woman who mistreated Kung Te-cheng's mother, Kong Lingyi's second concubine Wang Baocui (王寶翠) (1894 - Qufu
, 11 March 1920), the daughter of a peasant from Zunhua County, Hebei
.
On 4 October 1919, Kong Lingyi went to Beijing
after receiving news of his father-in-law, Tao Shijun's, death. Soon afterward, Kong was afflicted with a subcutaneous ulcer on his back. He died on 8 November 1919 at the Mansion of the Duke Yansheng (衍聖公府) in Beijing
.
At the time of his father's death, Kung Te-cheng's mother, Wang Baocui, was five months pregnant, and on 23 February 1920, she gave birth to Kung. Seventeen days later, on 11 March 1920, Wang died.
Kung had two older sisters, both borne by his mother Wang Baocui. The elder, Kong Deqi (孔德齊) (b. 1915), married the youngest son of Fu Shu (馮恕), a Beijing
calligrapher and founder of Beijing Electric Lamp Company, in 1932, but died as a young woman. The younger, Kong Demao (孔德懋) (b. 1917), married Ke Changfen (柯昌汾), third and youngest son of Qing Dynasty
historian Ke Shaomin (柯劭忞) and Wu Zhifang, daughter of Qing Dynasty
prose writer Wu Rulun, in 1935. Ke Shaomin's sworn brother
was President Xu Shichang. Kong Demao has one daughter, Ke Lan, one son, Ke Da, and one grandson (the son of Ke Lan), Liu Yong. She lives in mainland China and has written a book about her experiences growing up at the family estate in Qufu.
Kung married Sun Qifang, a granddaughter of Qing dynasty
scholar-official Sun Jianai, who was the first president of Peking University
, on 16 December 1936. Sun's Shouxian, Anhui
, family's business combine (one of the first in modern China) includes the Fou Foong Flour Company, the largest flour mill in Asia
. They had four children, two sons and two daughters:
His children all have 維 Wei in their name since it is a generation name
, signifying that they are 78th generation descendants of Confucius.
hospital in Sindian City. He acquired pneumonia
and sepsis
when he arrived at the emergency department. Kung died 8 days later, on 28 October 2008 at 10:50 am, of heart and respiratory failure. The ROC Ministry of the Interior appointed his grandson Kung Tsui-chang
to succeed him as Sacrificial Official to Confucius.
Confucius
Confucius , literally "Master Kong", was a Chinese thinker and social philosopher of the Spring and Autumn Period....
in the main line of descent
Descent from antiquity
Descent from Antiquity is the project of establishing a well-researched, generation-by-generation descent of living persons from people living in antiquity. It is an ultimate challenge in prosopography and genealogy....
. He was the final person to be appointed Duke Yansheng
Duke Yansheng
Duke Yansheng was a title of nobility in China. It was originally created as a marquisate for the direct descendent of Confucius during the Western Han dynasty. Then the Northern Song Dynasty Emperor Renzong of Song elevated the 46th generation descendants the current title of Duke...
and the first Sacrificial Official to Confucius. He helped formulate and was in charge of officiating the modern Confucius ceremony held annually in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. In addition to Sacrificial Official, he held numerous posts in the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
government, including member of the National Assembly
National Assembly of the Republic of China
The National Assembly of the Republic of China refers to several parliamentary bodies that existed in the Republic of China. The National Assembly was originally founded in 1913 as the first legislature in Chinese history, but was disbanded less than a year later as President Yuan Shikai assumed...
from 1946 to 1991, President of the Examination Yuan
Examination Yuan
The Examination Yuan is in charge of validating the qualification of civil servants in the Republic of China . It is one of the five government branches of the ROC government...
from 1984 to 1993, and senior advisor to the President of the Republic of China
President of the Republic of China
The President of the Republic of China is the head of state and commander-in-chief of the Republic of China . The Republic of China was founded on January 1, 1912, to govern all of China...
from 1948 to 2000. He held professorships at National Taiwan University
National Taiwan University
National Taiwan University is a national co-educational university located in Taipei, Republic of China . In Taiwan, it is colloquially known as "Táidà" . Its main campus is set upon 1,086,167 square meters in Taipei's Da'an District. In addition, the university has 6 other campuses in Taiwan,...
, Fu Jen Catholic University
Fu Jen Catholic University
Fu Jen Catholic University is a co-educational Catholic university located in Xinzhuang District, New Taipei City, Republic of China...
, and Soochow University
Soochow University (Taiwan)
Soochow University is a private university located in Taipei, Taiwan. Although the Soochow University in Taiwan maintains a church and a Methodist minister in residence, it may be considered a secular institution...
.
Birth and early life
Kung was born in his family estate in QufuQufu
Qufu is a city in southwestern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It is located at 35° 36′ northern latitude and 117° 02′ east, about south of the provincial capital Jinan and northeast of the prefecture seat at Jining...
, Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
. He was the third child and only son of Kong Lingyi (孔令貽), Duke Yansheng by his second concubine, Wang Baocui (王寶翠). His father's name contained the character 令 Ling because it was the generation name
Generation name
Generation name, variously zibei or banci, is one of the characters in a traditional Chinese name, and is so called because each member of a generation share that character, unlike surnames or given names...
for 76th generation descendants of Confucius. On 6 June 1920, shortly after his birth, he was appointed Duke Yansheng
Duke Yansheng
Duke Yansheng was a title of nobility in China. It was originally created as a marquisate for the direct descendent of Confucius during the Western Han dynasty. Then the Northern Song Dynasty Emperor Renzong of Song elevated the 46th generation descendants the current title of Duke...
by President
President of the Republic of China
The President of the Republic of China is the head of state and commander-in-chief of the Republic of China . The Republic of China was founded on January 1, 1912, to govern all of China...
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, Kong Lingyi, had 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").
Political career
The Japanese offered him the position of puppet Emperor of ChinaEmperor of China
The Emperor of China refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning between the founding of Qin Dynasty of China, united by the King of Qin in 221 BCE, and the fall of Yuan Shikai's Empire of China in 1916. When referred to as the Son of Heaven , a title that predates the Qin unification, the...
in 1937, but Kung declined the offer.
On January 1938, Kung fled the Japanese invasion of Shandong to Hankou
Hankou
Hankou was one of the three cities whose merging formed modern-day Wuhan, the capital of the Hubei province, China. It stands north of the Han and Yangtze Rivers where the Han falls into the Yangtze...
. The Japanese blew up his Sacred Mount Taishan residence. Premier H. H. Kung
H. H. Kung
K'ung Hsiang-hsi , often known as Dr. H. H. Kung, was a wealthy Chinese banker and politician in the early 20th century. He was highly influential in determining the economic policies of the KMT government in the 1930s and 1940s...
, also a descendant of Confucius, greeted Duke Kung Te-cheng as he arrived. TIME magazine addressed him by the title "Duke Kung", and referred to his residence as the "ducal seat".
In response to talk of Japanese offers to make him "ruler of China" Kung said: "I have never even been approached by the Japanese! I consider myself at the orders of the Chinese Government. I am a patriot, ready to take up arms and fight the Japanese as soon as I reach the age of military service—that is 18 years. . . . My wife is expecting a child."
He was a member of the National Assembly of the Republic of China
National Assembly of the Republic of China
The National Assembly of the Republic of China refers to several parliamentary bodies that existed in the Republic of China. The National Assembly was originally founded in 1913 as the first legislature in Chinese history, but was disbanded less than a year later as President Yuan Shikai assumed...
from 1946 to 1991 and helped draft the 1947 Constitution of the Republic of China
Constitution of the Republic of China
The Constitution of the Republic of China is the fundamental law of the Republic of China . Drafted by the Kuomintang as part of its third stage of national development , it established a centralized Republic with five branches of government...
. From 1956 to 1964 he was director of the National Palace Museum
National Palace Museum
The National Palace Museum is an art museum in Taipei. It is the national museum of the Republic of China, and has a permanent collection of over 677,687 pieces of ancient Chinese artifacts and artworks, making it one of the largest in the world. The collection encompasses over 8,000 years of...
in Taipei. Kung served as President of the Examination Yuan
Examination Yuan
The Examination Yuan is in charge of validating the qualification of civil servants in the Republic of China . It is one of the five government branches of the ROC government...
from 1984 to 1993. He was a senior adviser to the President of the Republic of China
President of the Republic of China
The President of the Republic of China is the head of state and commander-in-chief of the Republic of China . The Republic of China was founded on January 1, 1912, to govern all of China...
from 1948 to 2000.
Family
Kung's name included 德 Dé, the generation nameGeneration name
Generation name, variously zibei or banci, is one of the characters in a traditional Chinese name, and is so called because each member of a generation share that character, unlike surnames or given names...
for 77th generation descendants of Confucius. Kung's father, Kong Lingyi (孔令貽) (Qufu
Qufu
Qufu is a city in southwestern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It is located at 35° 36′ northern latitude and 117° 02′ east, about south of the provincial capital Jinan and northeast of the prefecture seat at Jining...
, 1872 - Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
8 November 1919), inherited the Dukedom Yansheng
Duke Yansheng
Duke Yansheng was a title of nobility in China. It was originally created as a marquisate for the direct descendent of Confucius during the Western Han dynasty. Then the Northern Song Dynasty Emperor Renzong of Song elevated the 46th generation descendants the current title of Duke...
in 1876, upon the death of his father, the 30th Duke Yansheng
Duke Yansheng
Duke Yansheng was a title of nobility in China. It was originally created as a marquisate for the direct descendent of Confucius during the Western Han dynasty. Then the Northern Song Dynasty Emperor Renzong of Song elevated the 46th generation descendants the current title of Duke...
. Kong founded a county school in Qufu
Qufu
Qufu is a city in southwestern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It is located at 35° 36′ northern latitude and 117° 02′ east, about south of the provincial capital Jinan and northeast of the prefecture seat at Jining...
and was also president of the Four Clans Teachers' College (founded in conjunction with the descendants of Yan Hui
Yan Hui
Yan Hui ; was a late 13th century Chinese painter who lived during the Southern Song and early Yuan dynasties. His specific dates of birth and death are not known.-Biography:...
, Mencius
Mencius
Mencius was a Chinese philosopher who was arguably the most famous Confucian after Confucius himself.-Life:Mencius, also known by his birth name Meng Ke or Ko, was born in the State of Zou, now forming the territory of the county-level city of Zoucheng , Shandong province, only thirty kilometres ...
, and Zeng Zi). In 1889, he was appointed to the Guozijian
Guozijian
The Guozijian , or Kuo Tzu Chien, the School of the Sons of State, sometimes called the Imperial Academy, Imperial College, Imperial Central School, was the national central institute of learning in Chinese dynasties after the Sui. It was the highest institute of learning in China's traditional...
. Following the Xinhai Revolution
Xinhai Revolution
The Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, also known as Revolution of 1911 or the Chinese Revolution, was a revolution that overthrew China's last imperial dynasty, the Qing , and established the Republic of China...
, Kong was given a government post in the new government, but declined the position. Kong was a supporter of Yuan Shikai
Yuan Shikai
Yuan Shikai was an important Chinese general and politician famous for his influence during the late Qing Dynasty, his role in the events leading up to the abdication of the last Qing Emperor of China, his autocratic rule as the second President of the Republic of China , and his short-lived...
and was given a First Grade Medal and Sash of Auspicious Glory and the rank of Prince of the Second Rank by Yuan
Yuan Shikai
Yuan Shikai was an important Chinese general and politician famous for his influence during the late Qing Dynasty, his role in the events leading up to the abdication of the last Qing Emperor of China, his autocratic rule as the second President of the Republic of China , and his short-lived...
in 1915. He was also sworn brothers
Blood brother
Blood brother can refer to one of two things: two males related by birth, or two or more men not related by birth who have sworn loyalty to each other. This is usually done in a ceremony, known as a blood oath, where the blood of each man is mingled together...
with Zhang Xun
Zhang Xun
Zhang Xun or Chang Hsün may refer to:*Zhang Xun , general serving under the warlord Yuan Shu during the late Han Dynasty*Zhang Xun , Tang Dynasty general involved in the Battle of Suiyang against An Lushan...
.
Kong Lingyi had a total of four wives. His first wife, Lady Sun (孫氏), was the daughter of Sun Yuwen (孫毓汶) (1833 - 1899), an Imperial Envoy. Lady Sun's grandfather, Sun Ruizhen (孫瑞珍) (1783 - 1858), was a scholar and official during the Guangxu Emperor's
Guangxu Emperor
The Guangxu Emperor , born Zaitian of the Aisin-Gioro clan, was the eleventh emperor of the Manchurian Qing Dynasty, and the ninth Qing emperor to rule over China. His reign lasted from 1875 to 1908, but in practice he ruled, under Empress Dowager Cixi's influence, only from 1889 to 1898...
reign. Kong and Lady Sun married in 1888, but she died of illness without issue. Kong's first concubine, Lady Feng, similarly did not have any children. She died in 1928. Kong's second wife, Lady Tao (陶氏), was the daughter and ninth child of Tao Shijun, Magistrate of Daming Prefecture. She bore Kong one son who died at the age of three years. Lady Tao was described as a petty, jealous woman who mistreated Kung Te-cheng's mother, Kong Lingyi's second concubine Wang Baocui (王寶翠) (1894 - Qufu
Qufu
Qufu is a city in southwestern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It is located at 35° 36′ northern latitude and 117° 02′ east, about south of the provincial capital Jinan and northeast of the prefecture seat at Jining...
, 11 March 1920), the daughter of a peasant from Zunhua County, Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
.
On 4 October 1919, Kong Lingyi went to Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
after receiving news of his father-in-law, Tao Shijun's, death. Soon afterward, Kong was afflicted with a subcutaneous ulcer on his back. He died on 8 November 1919 at the Mansion of the Duke Yansheng (衍聖公府) in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
.
At the time of his father's death, Kung Te-cheng's mother, Wang Baocui, was five months pregnant, and on 23 February 1920, she gave birth to Kung. Seventeen days later, on 11 March 1920, Wang died.
Kung had two older sisters, both borne by his mother Wang Baocui. The elder, Kong Deqi (孔德齊) (b. 1915), married the youngest son of Fu Shu (馮恕), a Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
calligrapher and founder of Beijing Electric Lamp Company, in 1932, but died as a young woman. The younger, Kong Demao (孔德懋) (b. 1917), married Ke Changfen (柯昌汾), third and youngest son of Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
historian Ke Shaomin (柯劭忞) and Wu Zhifang, daughter of Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
prose writer Wu Rulun, in 1935. Ke Shaomin's sworn brother
Blood brother
Blood brother can refer to one of two things: two males related by birth, or two or more men not related by birth who have sworn loyalty to each other. This is usually done in a ceremony, known as a blood oath, where the blood of each man is mingled together...
was President Xu Shichang. Kong Demao has one daughter, Ke Lan, one son, Ke Da, and one grandson (the son of Ke Lan), Liu Yong. She lives in mainland China and has written a book about her experiences growing up at the family estate in Qufu.
Kung married Sun Qifang, a granddaughter of Qing dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
scholar-official Sun Jianai, who was the first president of Peking University
Peking University
Peking University , colloquially known in Chinese as Beida , is a major research university located in Beijing, China, and a member of the C9 League. It is the first established modern national university of China. It was founded as Imperial University of Peking in 1898 as a replacement of the...
, on 16 December 1936. Sun's Shouxian, Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
, family's business combine (one of the first in modern China) includes the Fou Foong Flour Company, the largest flour mill in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. They had four children, two sons and two daughters:
- Kong Wei'e (孔維鄂), elder daughter of Kung Te-cheng, married Lestat and has one child, George; she lives in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
- Kong Wei-yi (孔維益) (d. 1989), the 78th lineal descendant; married Yu Yuejie (于曰洁) and had one son, the 79th lineal descendant Kung Tsui-changKung Tsui-changKung Tsui-chang is the Sacrificial Official to Confucius in the Republic of China and Senior Advisor to the President of the Republic of China....
, and one daughter, Kung Tsui-mei (孔垂梅) - Kong Weilai (孔維崍), second daughter of Kung Te-cheng
- Kong Weining (孔維寧) (1946 - 10 June 2010), second son of Kung Te-cheng; had two daughters, Kong Chuijiu (孔垂玖) and Kong Chuiyong (孔垂永)
His children all have 維 Wei in their name since it is a generation name
Generation name
Generation name, variously zibei or banci, is one of the characters in a traditional Chinese name, and is so called because each member of a generation share that character, unlike surnames or given names...
, signifying that they are 78th generation descendants of Confucius.
Death
On 20 October 2008, Kung was sent to Tzu ChiTzu Chi
The Tzu Chi Foundation, whose name means "compassionate relief," is an international humanitarian organization and the largest non-governmental organization in the Chinese-speaking world....
hospital in Sindian City. He acquired pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
and sepsis
Sepsis
Sepsis is a potentially deadly medical condition that is characterized by a whole-body inflammatory state and the presence of a known or suspected infection. The body may develop this inflammatory response by the immune system to microbes in the blood, urine, lungs, skin, or other tissues...
when he arrived at the emergency department. Kung died 8 days later, on 28 October 2008 at 10:50 am, of heart and respiratory failure. The ROC Ministry of the Interior appointed his grandson Kung Tsui-chang
Kung Tsui-chang
Kung Tsui-chang is the Sacrificial Official to Confucius in the Republic of China and Senior Advisor to the President of the Republic of China....
to succeed him as Sacrificial Official to Confucius.