Home of the Ancient Sage.docVIP

Home of the Ancient Sage 　　THE hinterland city of Qufu insouthwestern Shandong Prov-ince has made its name as anhonored historical and culturalresort in China, not least for being thebirthplace of Confucius. 　　Confucianism, the ethical and philo-sophical system Confucius founded, is thedefining force of all aspects of Chinesesociety, life and culture. Its core value ishumanity, which can be interpreted aspeace among persons and nations. Otheressential qualities that make a respectableperson include responsibility, royalty, fil-ial piety and credibility. In a hierarchicalsociety where the powerful and rich hadabsolute say, Confucius admonished of-ficials to be honest and lenient, and rulethrough moral example. After its creation,Confucianism was disseminated acrossthe world, becoming one of the most sig-nificant exports of China. 　　As Chinese reverence for the greatthinker and educator was revived afterthe vandalic cultural revolution (1966-1976), Qufu Iaunched a celebration ofConfucius birthday in 1984 (around Sep-tember 28 on the Gregorian calendar),and later developed it into what is nowknown as the Qufu International Con-fucius Cultural Festival. 　　The centerpiece of the annual eventis an elaborate memorial ceremony per-formed in traditional robes and followingcenturies-old rituals. Sideline activitiesencompass tours of sites relating to Con-fucius, promotion of the Confucius fam-ily dishes and introduction to the Confu-cian culture pervasive in the region, theroot of Chinese ethics and values. 　　 　　Confucius Residence,Temple and Cemetery 　　 　　The real name of Confucius, or Kongziin Chinese, is Kong Qiu. In ancient timesZi was the honorific for teachers or any-one knowledgeable. Born in 551 B.C.,Confucius spent much of his life teachingand spreading his ideas among the popu-lace. It is said he had 3,000 students and72 of them became prominent scholarsthemselves. 　　In his youth, this man of noble birthshowed a strong interest in a diversity ofsubjects