This chapter re-assesses the knowledge background of Confucius and the Ancestral Temple from the perspective of comparative mythology and further discusses the reasons why early Confucians paid special attention to mythological creatures such as the phoenix and the qilin , underscoring the religious and mythological background of core concepts like the heavenly mandate, the sage and the concept of virtue. Finally, it traces the origins of the belief linking the symbolism of jade to ideals of moral excellence, having aimed to explore the more profound big tradition of Chinese jade worship behind the Confucian myth.