Confucius cultural festival kicks off with grand celebrations

The opening ceremony for the 2024 China International Confucius Cultural Festival was held in Qufu, Shandong province on Sept 27.

The opening ceremony for the 2024 China International Confucius Cultural Festival is held in Qufu, Shandong province on Sept 27. [Photo by Yang Guoqing/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

With the theme of "Dialogue with Confucius, Mutual Learning Among Civilizations", the festival aims to better explore and showcase the contemporary value of Confucian culture and strengthen the international dissemination of Chinese culture.

The event, which will run until Oct 7, consists of an opening ceremony, a memorial honoring Confucius, and a global exploration of Confucius temples and academies as well as 100 cultural and tourist performances, exhibitions, and folk experiences.

A traditional performance at the Nishan Sacred Land hosting the opening ceremony of the 2024 China International Confucius Cultural Festival on Sept 27. [Photo by Yang Guoqing/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

As part of the opening ceremony, the 17th UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy announced its three winners, and locals from Indonesia, Egypt, and Nigeria were present to receive their awards on stage.

The prize was established in 2005 to recognize the efforts of individuals, governments, and NGOs in raising the literacy rate and was the first international award to be named after a Chinese person. 

Five guests of Generation Z, those born after 1995 and into the 2000s, represented all different parts of the world in sharing their stories about Confucius and their experiences in China during the opening ceremony.

Qufu, a county-level city in Jining, is the birthplace of Confucius and has become a popular destination for tourists locally and abroad to explore Confucian culture.

The Temple of Confucius in Qufu, along with the Confucius Cemetery and the Kong Family Mansion, were designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1994.

Kong Fuzi, or Confucius, was a renowned Chinese philosopher who lived from 551 to 479 BC during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC) and founded a school of thought that influenced later generations. He was also the first Chinese person to set up private schools and enroll students from all walks of life.

International attendees at the opening ceremony of the 2024 China International Confucius Cultural Festival on Sept 27. [Photo by Yang Guoqing/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]