Decoding City Samples of Cultural Confidence | Civility in Zisheng for Thousands of Years - Decoding Cultural Confidence Samples of Qufu, the Hometown of Confucius | Civilization | World | Culture
Confucius said, "It's a pleasure to have friends coming from afar..."
On June 25, the Nishan Dialogue on Digital Civilization of the World Internet Conference will be held in Qufu, Shandong Province, the "hometown of Confucius". People from dozens of countries and regions around the world will gather here to explore how to draw on the long-standing Chinese wisdom in the era of artificial intelligence to build a digital world of exchange, mutual learning, and inclusiveness.
On June 8th, a partial photo was taken of the Confucius Temple and Confucius Mansion in Qufu. Photo by Guo Xulei, journalist from Xinhua News Agency
The ancient city of Qufu, with its excellent traditional Chinese cultural atmosphere nurtured by history and the powerful Chinese wisdom contained therein, is a spiritual wealth of China and even the world.
In November 2013, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized during an inspection in Qufu: "The prosperity of a country and a nation is always supported by cultural prosperity. The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation requires the development and prosperity of Chinese culture."
Remembering the instructions of General Secretary, Qufu takes the creative transformation and innovative development of excellent traditional Chinese culture as the starting point, and strives to build a harmonious city with cultural people, a friendly city that is close to and far away, and a city that promotes development through culture.
The rich and profound cultural heritage is now flourishing
Under the walls of the Confucian Temple, the drum music is melodious and the dance is graceful. At 8 o'clock every day, the "Morning Bell Opening Ceremony" is solemnly held here, with the ancient and heavy city gates slowly opening and Qufu welcoming guests from all directions.
"It's amazing! It's truly the 'capital of ritual and music'. When the city gate slowly opens, it feels like I've traveled back a thousand years," said Yang Mingjing, a Beijing tourist excitedly.
Qufu has a history of over 3000 years of city construction, and its name was first seen in the Book of Rites. The scholar Ying Shao of the Eastern Han Dynasty said, "There is a Fu in the city of Lu, with a winding path of seven or eight miles, hence the name Qufu." Today, Qufu has ancient and simple city walls, with upright and upright cypress trees covering towering temples. A large number of cultural heritage carry the wisdom of ancient sages and convey a long and profound cultural significance.
Confucius, named Qiu and styled Zhongni, was born over 2000 years ago during the Spring and Autumn period in the state of Lu, in the present-day Qufu. He once held the position of Grand Secretary of the State of Lu, and later led some disciples to travel around various countries for fourteen years. He was a great ancient Chinese thinker, educator, and founder of the Confucian school. His theory advocates the concepts of people-oriented and harmony without differences, which have a profound impact on future generations.
Today in Qufu, the three famous ancient architectural complexes of Confucius Temple, Confucius Mansion, and Confucius Forest are bustling with people. People come here to pay tribute to their teachers, commemorate their ancestors, and draw cultural strength. "These ancient architectural complexes have a continuous historical function and serve as important places for the education of excellent traditional Chinese culture. Visitors come and go throughout the year," said Kong Demin, Director of the Qufu Municipal Cultural Relics Bureau.
For many years, on September 28th, the Confucius Temple has held a grand ceremony to worship Confucius. Confucian experts and tourists from all over the world wear yellow ribbons and stand in front of the Dacheng Hall, enjoying the music and dance of public ceremonies, experiencing national intangible cultural heritage, intuitively experiencing the traditional ceremonial system of the "land of etiquette", and experiencing the continuous cultural pulse of ancient Chinese philosophers firsthand.
Confucius established himself through learning and became a "model teacher for all ages.". The Nishan Holy Land, along the banks of the Yi River, and the Confucius Institute and other specialized institutions for Confucian research have been established successively, and a series of research results have had a positive impact both domestically and internationally.
In September 2022, Qilu Book Society published a collection of classic Chinese Confucian works called "Confucian Classics", consisting of 1816 volumes and 4789 volumes, which reflects the main thread of the formation and development of Confucianism; In April this year, the "essence Edition" of the "Collection of Confucian Classics", consisting of 510 kinds and 282 volumes in China, was completed, including the most influential and representative Confucian literature in Chinese history. A considerable portion of the literature in the "Confucian Classics" and "Confucian Canon" originated in Qufu.
The holy land of Mount Ni in Qufu captured on June 8th. Photo by Guo Xulei, journalist from Xinhua News Agency
Nowadays, the Confucius Institute, the Nishan Holy Land, and the Confucius Museum have expanded the platform for Confucian research and inheritance. The newly built Confucius Museum covers a total area of 55000 square meters, with 700000 pieces of cultural relics mainly sourced from the old collection accumulated by the Confucius Mansion, including bronze artifacts from the Shang and Zhou dynasties, yellow jade horses from the Warring States period, private documents and archives of the Confucius Mansion, rare ancient books, and ceremonial instruments for Confucius worship.
On June 18th at 14:00, the large-scale ritual and music program "Golden Sound and Jade Vibration" opened at Nishan Shengjing University, showcasing the legendary life of Confucius. The ritual and music scroll of "wind, elegance, and praise" fully displays the ancient style and charm, making people intoxicated.
Qufu is exploring the rich historical and cultural value of the city in a more diverse way.
Learn from the wise and apply what you have learned
Entering the "Confucius Six Art City", learning traditional etiquette in the "Ritual Hall", admiring ancient music and dance in the "Music Hall", experiencing traditional archery skills in the "Shooting Hall", simulating traveling with Confucius to various countries in the "Imperial Hall", copying inscriptions in the "Book Hall", experiencing the digital maze in the "Number Hall"... "After experiencing these traditional cultures firsthand, I think they are really cute," said Li Mengmeng, a primary school student from Heze, Shandong. As of now, more than 1400 primary school students from various regions, like Li Mengmeng, have participated in the "Confucian 'Six Arts' Experience" learning activity.
On June 9th, students from Jinan University Affiliated Primary School participated in a research activity in Qufu. Photo by Guo Xulei, journalist from Xinhua News Agency
A anti-corruption education class is currently taking place in the residence of Confucius Mansion. Professor Zhong Shuxian from Jining Political and Moral Education Cadre College pointed to the "Anti Corruption Plan" on the screen wall and earnestly explained Confucius' moral and political thoughts to more than 50 students: "Confucius said, 'If one's body is upright, they will not follow orders; if one's body is not upright, they will not follow orders.' Only by abandoning their greed can officials set an example, win the hearts of the people, and govern their country..." The college has built 15 on-site teaching points in Qufu, training more than 100000 students including party and government officials at all levels.
Qufu firmly maintains cultural confidence and strives to transform the advantages of excellent traditional Chinese culture into an inexhaustible driving force for promoting economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological civilization construction.
Qufu has established "harmony is precious" mediation rooms in all villages and communities throughout the city, striving to prevent minor conflicts from leaving the village and major conflicts from leaving the town. Zhai Yanju, a villager from Beijiaogou Village, Shimenshan Town, had a dispute with someone over farmland a month ago. The village branch secretary invited both parties to the mediation room to explain the principle of "do not do to others what you do not want.". Zhai Yanju said that after putting herself in a different position and thinking about it, her mood became much smoother. She sat down and had a cup of tea to chat, and both sides quickly shook hands and made peace.
Luyuan New Village is located at the foot of Nishan Mountain in Qufu City. Photo by Guo Xulei, journalist from Xinhua News Agency
Qufu continues to promote the transformation of Confucian filial piety and respect for the elderly into social action. The reporter saw at the "Happiness Canteen" in Ruanjia Village, Xiaoxue Street, Qufu City that volunteers had carefully cooked dishes such as steamed sea bass, stir fried pork with beans, and stir fried shrimp on the table, and the elderly sat together happily eating. On holidays such as the Double Ninth Festival, the "Happiness Canteen" also holds volunteer activities such as traditional Chinese opera performances, poetry recitation, and charity consultations. Kong Lingquan, an elderly person in his 80s, said, "Every day we have hot meals and volunteers to accompany us in singing, which warms the hearts of our elderly people."
The abundant cultural resources have become the driving force for the high-quality development of Qufu's cultural industry. Currently, there are nearly a thousand cultural industry enterprises in the local area, releasing a multiplier effect of "one industry prospers, one hundred industries prosper".
All things are nurtured together but different
Confucius said, "Virtue is not solitary, there must be neighbors."
Since 2010, the Nishan World Civilization Forum, named after the birthplace of Confucius, has been a major event in Qufu every September. A large number of experts and scholars from home and abroad have come to participate in this international comprehensive forum on humanities, which is open to the world, to exchange research results and express insightful insights.
Nowadays, the Nishan Forum on World Civilizations has become an important link for global cultural exchange, mutual learning, and broad consensus building. The concept of "each beauty has its own beauty, the beauty of a beautiful person, beauty and harmony, world unity" has spread from here to the world and is increasingly accepted by people of different languages, skin colors, and cultural backgrounds.
On May 8th, the Confucius Museum in Qufu, Shandong Province held an exhibition titled "Qi Ming Sheng Fu - Ming Dynasty Yansheng Gong Clothing Exhibition". Photo by Guo Xulei, journalist from Xinhua News Agency
Qufu embraces the world with a more open attitude, and more and more international friends cross mountains and seas to gather in the hometown of Confucius.
In the Confucius Institute Headquarters Experience Base located in Qufu, students from countries such as South Korea and Singapore have arrived one after another to experience the charm of Chinese culture and appreciate the true essence of Confucianism. At present, this base has attracted 15000 teachers and students from over 130 countries and regions.
"The cultural atmosphere is very good, and Qufu is a fascinating Chinese city," said Nadezda Razumkova, a Russian teacher who has been teaching at Qufu Normal University for many years
Korean guest Bai Junji, who has participated in the Nishan World Civilization Forum, strongly agrees with the Chinese philosophy of "harmony but difference". He said, "Just like colorful flowers make up a beautiful scenery, only with harmony and diversity, seeking common ground while reserving differences, and harmonious coexistence, can the world be more beautiful."
The ancient Nishan Holy Land is about to welcome the Nishan Dialogue on Digital Civilization of the World Internet Conference, which is at the forefront of the times.
"All things grow together without harming each other, and the ways run parallel without contradicting each other..." Ren Xianliang, Secretary General of the World Internet Conference, said, "Choosing the birthplace of Confucius and the birthplace of Confucianism to hold a digital civilization dialogue is to explore the form in which AI will promote the development of human civilization, promote all parties to better tap the value of the historical and cultural era in the digital era, strengthen international people to people exchanges and cooperation, open up a new path for the development of AI technology, and jointly promote the development and progress of human civilization."
Confucius said in Kawakami, "The passing of time is like a fleeting man, willing to sacrifice day and night." The accumulation of time over a hundred generations has endowed the philosophical thoughts of our ancestors with deeper connotations. In the new era, Qufu firmly upholds cultural confidence, adheres to integrity and innovation, and shines with even more brilliant brilliance in the new journey of building modern Chinese civilization.
