A ceremony marking the 2,569th anniversary of the birth of ancient Chinese sage and educator Confucius was held on Friday at the Confucius Temple in Qufu, the hometown of Confucius, in east China's Shandong Province.
Along with the ceremony, filming began for a documentary on Confucius. The six-episode documentary, with a total length of 300 minutes, will focus on the influence of Confucianism today.
Many of the 600,000 cultural relics kept in archives in the Kong Family Mansion will be presented for the first time in the documentary, according to Yan Dong, director of the documentary.
The documentary will be released on September 28, 2019, the 2,570th birth anniversary of Confucius.
On September 26, Qufu launched this year's International Confucius Cultural Festival and the 5th Nishan Forum on World Civilizations. The forum drew 263 scholars from home and abroad to discuss Confucianism, international politics, religion and humanity.
Photo taken on September 26, 2018 shows the opening ceremony of the fifth Nishan Forum on World Civilizations, part of the 2018 China (Qufu) International Confucius Cultural Festival, in Qufu, east China's Shandong Province. /Photo via Xinhua News Agency
During the event, there will be three high-level dialogues, four themed speeches and a series of sub-forums.
"Shandong is the home of Confucius and an important source of Chinese traditional culture," said Liu Jiayi, secretary of Shandong Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China. "We shoulder the responsibility to creatively pass on traditional culture, and need to enhance communication between Chinese civilization and the rest of the world."
As part of the cultural festival, the 13th UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy announced its winners on the evening of September 27. Established in 2005, the prize has recognized the efforts of individuals, governments and NGOs in raising the literacy rate.
Three educational programs for children and adults from Iran, for prisoners from Nigeria, and for adult immigrants from Spain won.
The program by Literacy Movement Organization in Iran promotes literacy and continuing education for children and adults, particularly women and girls in rural areas.
The other program by Nigerian Prisons Service equips prisoners with skills and professions that can make them employable or self-employed upon release, encouraging them to become crime-free citizens.
The third program by Foundation Elche Acoge in Spain started in 1994. Its goal of "Spanish as a second language for adult immigrants" is to implement an educational program which allows immigrants to integrate into society and the labor market.
A ceremony is held to mark the 2,569th anniversary of the birth of ancient Chinese sage and educator Confucius at the Confucius Temple in Qufu, the hometown of Confucius, in east China's Shandong Province, September 28, 2016. /Photo via Xinhua News Agency
Confucius (551-479 BC) founded Confucianism, a school of thought that has deeply influenced later generations. The ideas advocated by Confucius include rule by virtue, self-discipline in appeasing others and harmony in diversity.
(Cover: A ceremony is held to mark the 2,569th anniversary of the birth of ancient Chinese sage and educator Confucius at the Confucius Temple in Qufu, the hometown of Confucius, in east China's Shandong Province, September 28, 2016. /Xinhua News Agency Photo)