Thursday, September 27, 2001, updated at 08:42(GMT+8)
Life
Cultural Festival Opens to Commemorate Confucius
The International Confucius Cultural Festival opened Wednesday in Qufu, Confucius' birthplace in east China's Shandong Province.
Tours of Confucius' hometown and the Confucius Temple, a concert of ancient Chinese music, a photo show and a trade fair will be held during the festival, which runs from September 26 to October 10.
At the opening ceremony, a grand musical and dance performance was staged.
Confucius (551 B.C.- 479 B.C.) is regarded as a great thinker and educator in Chinese history. Confucianism, the school of thought that developed from his ideas, has had a tremendous influence on China's political, cultural and social environment for thousands of years.