JINAN/TAIPEI, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) — From Confucius’ hometown Qufu in east China’s Shandong Province to Taipei on the opposite facet of the Taiwan Strait, numerous ceremonies have been held on Monday to commemorate the two,577th anniversary of the traditional thinker’s start.
The celebrations, reflecting the enduring affect of Confucian tradition throughout the Strait, stood as a logo of China’s longstanding efforts to attract energy from its historic traditions.
Wearing yellow ribbons, individuals entered the venue in Qufu at round 10 a.m. and laid flower baskets in entrance of a statue of Confucius. Zhou Naixiang, governor of Shandong Province, learn the eulogy and led the visitors in bowing as an indication of respect. The grand ceremony concluded at round 11 a.m.
The custom of commemorating Confucius dates again to 478 B.C., the yr following his loss of life. Today, the ceremonies, that includes conventional music, dance, and different ceremonial kinds, embody the essence of propriety in Confucian tradition.
“Performing the ancient dance has deepened my understanding of the order and respect embedded in Chinese ritual and music culture,” mentioned Liu Junbing, a scholar at Qufu Normal University who participated within the dance on 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,” mentioned Korepanova Svetlana, a scholar from Russia.
The commemoration included a stay on-line broadcast, that includes ceremonies from greater than 60 Confucius temples and cultural establishments around the globe. This allowed individuals all over the place to attach with and expertise Confucian tradition.
This yr’s on-line platform added interactive options, akin to AI-driven dialogues with Confucius, certificates technology and fascinating trivia video games.
“I learned about Confucius while studying Chinese in Tajikistan, and I’ve always admired his philosophy,” mentioned Khusenov Farzinshoh, a scholar from Tajikistan.
Scholars on the occasion additionally emphasised the worldwide significance of Confucian thought.
Bali Ram Deepak, a professor on the Centre for Chinese Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, who has translated the Confucianism traditional Four Books into Hindi, instructed Xinhua that mutual studying between cultures helps improve understanding and promote concord.
Meanwhile, within the southeastern nook of the nation, on the opposite facet of the Taiwan Strait, one other solemn ceremony was held in Taipei Confucius Temple to commemorate the sage’s 2,577th birthday, drawing a whole bunch of individuals from throughout the town.
The 90-minute ceremony started at 6 a.m. on Monday and adopted a standard ritual of 37 ceremonial procedures accompanied by conventional music and dance, thought to be essentially the most fully preserved in Taiwan.
Among them was Chang Tsung-i, a scholar at Taiwan Normal University who served as a ceremonial attendant. He has participated within the annual ceremony for a number of years, taking over roles akin to dancer, musician and ceremonial attendant, and likewise helps practice musicians for the ceremony.
“This is also a form of inheritance,” Chang mentioned. “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 initially constructed in the course of the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It was demolished throughout Japanese colonial rule to make manner for a Japanese-language college and was later relocated and rebuilt.
Lin Yi-hua, Taipei deputy mayor who served because the principal presentation officer, mentioned in a speech that the temple is a crucial cultural landmark in Taipei and a historic web site the place the Confucian custom has been preserved and continued.
The annual ceremony not solely commemorates and carries ahead the spirit of Confucius, Lin mentioned, but in addition helps be certain that conventional ritual and music tradition stays seen and appreciated in modern society.
There are greater than 40 Confucian temples of varied sizes throughout the island. Similar ceremonies have been additionally held on Monday in cities together with 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,” mentioned Kong Deli, president of the China Confucius Research Institute.
Confucius (551-479 B.C.) based a college of thought that profoundly influenced later generations, which turned generally known as Confucianism. He was additionally the primary to determine non-public colleges in China, admitting college students from all social lessons.
Kong famous that Confucius’ advocacy of “harmony without uniformity” and “people-centeredness” supplies an necessary worth basis for managing relations amongst people, nations and civilizations.