Photo report | Celebrating the birth of Confucius

Participants in traditional dress stand near an oversized portrait of Confucius during a ceremony

A special ceremony in Beijing was held yesterday to observe the 2,567th birth anniversary of the famed Chinese philosopher, Confucius, where participants wear traditional dress. Ceremonies were held across China, including in Confucius’ eastern hometown, Qufu.
Most of the participants at the event in Beijing were students and faculty at a private school that teaches students classic works by Confucius and other sages, calligraphy, and Chinese medicine, among other subjects.
Confucius and his teachings were widely criticized by the founding father of Communist China, Mao Zedong, who railed against traditional culture and what he called “feudal thinking.”
However, the sage’s image has been rehabilitated in recent years as the government pushes his message of harmonious social order and deference to authority. Confucius’ teachings emphasized duty to family, respect for learning and obedience of individuals to the state. MDT/AP
Participants in traditional dress stand near an oversized portrait of Confucius during a ceremony

A participant in traditional dress stands near a drum during a ceremony

A boy in traditional dress adjusts another’s headgear before a group photo

A young participant tries to hold back a sneeze during the ceremony

Participants in traditional dress stand during a ceremony to observe the 2567th birthday of Confucius