The 2005 China Qufu International Confucius Cultural Festival opened in Qufu City in east China's Shandong Province on Monday evening.

A grand ceremony will be held to honor Confucius (551 BC- 479 BC), one of ancient China's greatest thinkers, statesmen and educators, and founder of the Confucian school of philosophy.

During the festival, a series of academic and commercial programs will be held n Qufu, Confucius' birthplace. The city is home to many cultural relics including the Confucian Temple, Confucian Cemetery and Confucian Family Mansion.

This year is the 2,556th anniversary of Confucius's birth. Once thought to be a dead doctrine, Confucianism has made an astonishing comeback in the last 20 years. Many primary schools now offer Confucian studies, with lessons characterized by rote learning. Subjects include the Analects of Confucius and others tailored to improve the younger generation's basic cultural knowledge.

The first festival was held in 1984.

(Xinhua News Agency September 27, 2005)