Is it not a real delight to have friends come to visit you from afar?

Is it not a real delight to have friends come to visit you from afar?

This is the opening line in The Analects of Confucius, expressing one's delight with like-minded people coming from different places. The ancient Chinese believed that to achieve great success one must have friends who cherish the same ideals, and that working with kindred souls is a valuable, happy thing.

Xi Jinping began his remarks by saying "What a joy to have friends coming from afar!" to welcome the guests, scholars and experts attending the International Conference Commemorating the 2,565th Anniversary of Confucius' Birth, held in September 2014. This expressed the Chinese people's delight in greeting visitors from afar, and also showed their hospitality to friends around the world.

有朋自远方来，不亦乐乎

“有朋自远方来，不亦乐乎”是《论语》的开篇之语，意为那些志同道合的人，从各个方向、从各个地方聚到自己身旁，难道不是一件非常高兴的事吗？中国古人认为，要做成一件事，特别是要做成一件大事，必须要有志同道合的人。只有志趣相投的朋友在一起，做起事情来才是幸福的，做的事情才是有价值的。

2014年9月，习近平在参加纪念孔子诞辰2565周年国际学术研讨会时，引用“有朋自远方来，不亦乐乎”这句古语作为欢迎来自世界各国嘉宾及专家学者的开场白，表达了中国人民对朋友到来的愉悦，体现了中国人民广交天下朋友的胸怀与热情。