Confucius was born in year 21 of the reign of King Ling of the Zhou dynasty (year 22 of the period of Duke Xiang of the Lu State, 551 B.C.E.) and when he was 73, died in year 40 of the reign of King Dun of Zhou (year 16 of the period of Duke Ai of Lu, 479 B.C.E.).

In year 2 of the reign of the emperor Ming of the Han dynasty ( 59 C .E.), the ceremony of worshiping Confucius was held in state-run schools in the capital and counties instead of in the Confucian Temple in Qu Fu.

From then on, this kind of ceremony was held in schools in the seats of central government and local governments. The ceremony of worshiping Confucius thus became an important event throughout the country.

According to the ritual rule, the Dance of Eight Rows of Eight could only be performed in the emperor's Temple . In the Tang dynasty, Confucius was conferred the title “Wen Xian Wang” (literally, “King of Culture Development”). He was seated facing the south and worshiped as if he were a king.

He was esteemed as the Greatest Exemplar of Teacher for All Ages, who was well-versed in both ancient and contemporary learnings and whose virtue was as great as Heaven and Earth. He was the utmost sage that surpassed any other sages.

From that time onwards up to year 32 of the period of Guang Xu of Qing, it was decreed that the Dance of Eight Rows of Eight be performed as a part of the grand ceremony of worshiping Confucius.

Chinese dance began before the written history. There are a variety of forms. The Dance of Eight Rows of Eight is the civil one of the extant classical dances. The Chinese word “ yi ” means “rows or files or ranks.”

The Dance of Rows means a sacrificial dance with neat rows and files. It is written in the classic Zuo Zhuan ( The Zuo Chronicle ), “Dance of Eight Rows of Eight is for the emperor, Dance of Six Rows of Six for dukes and barons, Dance of Four Rows of Four for great officers, and Dance of Two Rows of Two for gentry-scholars.”

The Dance of Six Rows of Six means 6 rows and 6 files, thus there are totally 36 people. It was a civil dance performed for worshiping prime ministers, dukes, and barons.

The Dance of Eight Rows of Eight means 8 rows and 8 files, thus 64 people in all. This was performed for the worship of the emperor's ancestors, such as Huang Ti (The Yellow Emperor), and consists of civil dances, martial dances, and dances which combine the two.

The Dance of Rows is also called the civil dance. It is adapted from descriptions in the book Pan Gong Li Yue Shu ( Commentary on Rituals and Music in Schools ) by Li Zhi-Zao of the Ming dynasty. One group of Dance Students is on the east side and the other group is on the west.

Both are guided in by Ritual Attendants holding tasseled staffs. There are three services of offering sacrifices: the first, second, and final offerings. Every offering has 32 stages.

Dance Students move cyclically according to the stages of the offerings. Dance Students on the east side and those on the west move symmetrically, though there is some difference between them. Dance Students stand on Dan Chi ( Red Square ), each carrying a “yue” in the left hand and a “di” in the right hand.

Dance Students' implements for the ceremony:

“Di” is a woodwind instrument measured 90 cm , on the top of which is a dragon's head with golden beard and the rest of the handle is painted red.

“Yue” is originally a kind of flute measured 60 cm and decorated with three pheasant feathers. When the sacrifices are being offered, dance and music start at the same time. It is a climax of the ceremony,

The sequence and movements of present-day Dances of Eight Rows of Eight are as follows:

1. The Dance of Eight Rows of Eight has 64 students, 8 per row and 8 per file.
2. Dance Students on both the east side and the west side face the north and stand upright. Dance Students on the east turn towards the west, while those on the west turn towards the east. All face the inner circle of the Temple .
3. Each Dance Student holds a yue in his left hand and a di in his right.
4. The music is played according to the words in the lyric. One word corresponds to one movement. Eight different musical instruments are played together.