Four Sages
group of 4 eminent Chinese Confucian philosophers: Yan Hui, Zengzi, Zisi, Mencius / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Four Sages, also known as Assessors or Correlates (Chinese: 四配; pinyin: Sì Pèi), are four famous Chinese thinkers in the Confucian tradition.[1] They are highly respected and given special status, almost like sainthood, in Confucianism.[2] The spirit tablets of the Four sages are placed in important spots in Confucian temples. Two tablets are on the east side and two are on the west side of the Hall of the Great Completion (Dacheng Dian). In these temples, Yan Hui's tablet is placed first on the east side of Confucius.[1]
The families of the descendants of the Four Sages (四氏) still hold special hereditary offices in the Republic of China, like the Sacrificial Official to Confucius, Sacrificial Official to Mencius, Sacrificial Official to Zengzi, and Sacrificial Official to Yan Hui. They use generation poems for their names, which were given to them by the Ming and Qing Emperors.[3]