A museum dedicated to Confucius officially opened on Friday in the city of Qufu, the birthplace of the Chinese philosopher, in east China's Shandong Province. 

The museum, China's first comprehensive museum about Confucius, covers an area of 55,000 square meters and was put into trial operation on November 26 last year. 

More than 232,000 visitors have been received since the start of the trial operation of the museum, which offers free admission.

The museum currently has a collection of more than 700,000 cultural relics, including more than 300,000 files about Confucius family and more than 40,000 classic books. The collection also includes more than 8,000 ancient costumes and a number of musical instruments used when paying tribute to Confucius. 

They are believed to embody the Confucius family's values of holding tradition and education in esteem. The relics also explore the ups and downs of the family, as well as social changes over the centuries.

The cultural project showcases Confucian relics collected by generations of his followers. It will be a place to learn about Chinese traditional culture, said Yang Jinquan, deputy head of the Qufu bureau of cultural relics. 

Educator and philosopher, Confucius (551-479 BC) founded his eponymous school of thought that deeply influenced later generations. He was also the first Chinese person to set up private schools and enroll students from all walks of life.

On the same day, the 2019 China (Qufu) International Confucius Cultural Festival kicked off. The festival, running into its 36th year, will last for 20 days, during which a series of activities will take place, including a memorial ceremony to mark the 2,570th birthday anniversary of Confucius, as well as forums on traditional culture and tourism promotions.

(With input from Xinhua News Agency and China Daily)