A ceremony was held Wednesday at the Southern Confucius Ancestral Temple in Quzhou, southeastern China's Zhejiang province, to commemorate the 2,573rd anniversary of the birth of the ancient Chinese sage Confucius.
A number of distinguished guests, including government officials, well-respected role models from all walks of life, representatives from the International Confucian Association, and descendants of Confucius gathered at the ceremony and participated in a series of activities such as tributes and recitals.
Wu Guosheng, chairman of the Standing Committee of Quzhou Municipal People's Congress, acted as the master of ceremony, and Kong Lingli, the 76th lineal descendant of Confucius, was the assistant master of ceremony.
Quzhou has held memorial ceremonies to celebrate the birth of Confucius every year since 2004. The ceremonies focused on carrying forward fine traditions and fostering Confucianism in modern times. In recent years, the city has also scaled up efforts to promote Confucianism as its city brand.
This year's Confucian cultural festival will feature eight themed events, including a seminar, an exhibition, and a competition. The events will run until Oct. 15.
