From Confucius' hometown Qufu in east China's Shandong Province to Taipei on the other side of the Taiwan Strait, various ceremonies were held on Monday to commemorate the 2,577th anniversary of the ancient philosopher's birth. (Photo/Xinhua)
Jinan/Taipei - From Confucius' hometown Qufu in east China's Shandong Province to Taipei on the other side of the Taiwan Strait, various ceremonies were held on Monday to commemorate the 2,577th anniversary of the ancient philosopher's birth.
The celebrations, reflecting the enduring influence of Confucian culture across the Strait, stood as a symbol of China's longstanding efforts to draw strength from its ancient traditions.
Wearing yellow ribbons, participants entered the venue in Qufu at around 10 a.m. and laid flower baskets in front of a statue of Confucius. Zhou Naixiang, governor of Shandong Province, read the eulogy and led the guests in bowing as a sign of respect. The grand ceremony concluded at around 11 a.m.
The tradition of commemorating Confucius dates back to 478 B.C., the year following his death. Today, the ceremonies, featuring traditional music, dance, and other ceremonial forms, embody the essence of propriety in Confucian culture.
"Performing the ancient dance has deepened my understanding of the order and respect embedded in Chinese ritual and music culture," said Liu Junbing, a student at Qufu Normal University who participated in the dance at the commemoration.
"It was my first time witnessing the authentic performance, and I was truly captivated by the unique charm of China's ritual and music culture," said Korepanova Svetlana, a student from Russia.
The commemoration included a live online broadcast, featuring ceremonies from more than 60 Confucius temples and cultural institutions around the world. This allowed people everywhere to connect with and experience Confucian culture.
This year's online platform added interactive features, such as AI-driven dialogues with Confucius, certificate generation and interesting trivia games.
"I learned about Confucius while studying Chinese in Tajikistan, and I've always admired his philosophy," said Khusenov Farzinshoh, a student from Tajikistan.
Scholars at the event also emphasized the global significance of Confucian thought.
Bali Ram Deepak, a professor at the Centre for Chinese Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, who has translated the Confucianism classic Four Books into Hindi, told Xinhua that mutual learning between cultures helps enhance understanding and promote harmony.
Meanwhile, in the southeastern corner of the country, on the other side of the Taiwan Strait, another solemn ceremony was held in Taipei Confucius Temple to commemorate the sage's 2,577th birthday, drawing hundreds of people from across the city.
The 90-minute ceremony began at 6 a.m. on Monday and followed a traditional ritual of 37 ceremonial procedures accompanied by traditional music and dance, regarded as the most completely preserved in Taiwan.
Among them was Chang Tsung-i, a student at Taiwan Normal University who served as a ceremonial attendant. He has participated in the annual ceremony for several years, taking on roles such as dancer, musician and ceremonial attendant, and also helps train musicians for the ceremony.
"This is also a form of inheritance," Chang said. "Through the ceremony, people can gradually understand the meaning of 'Li,' or ritual, and, in turn, gain a better understanding of how to live."
The Taipei Confucius Temple was originally built during the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It was demolished during Japanese colonial rule to make way for a Japanese-language school and was later relocated and rebuilt.
Lin Yi-hua, Taipei deputy mayor who served as the principal presentation officer, said in a speech that the temple is an important cultural landmark in Taipei and a historic site where the Confucian tradition has been preserved and continued.
The annual ceremony not only commemorates and carries forward the spirit of Confucius, Lin said, but also helps ensure that traditional ritual and music culture remains visible and appreciated in contemporary society.
There are more than 40 Confucian temples of various sizes across the island. Similar ceremonies were also held on Monday in cities including Taoyuan, Tainan and Taichung.
"Commemorating Confucius today is not only about honoring the sage, but also about revisiting and passing on the values of Chinese civilization," said Kong Deli, president of the China Confucius Research Institute.
Confucius (551-479 B.C.) founded a school of thought that profoundly influenced later generations, which became known as Confucianism. He was also the first to establish private schools in China, admitting students from all social classes.
Kong noted that Confucius' advocacy of "harmony without uniformity" and "people-centeredness" provides an important value foundation for managing relations among individuals, nations and civilizations.