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Festival held to commemorate Confucius
By Zhao Ruixue (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-09-28 22:47

2009 China (Qufu) International Confucius Cultural Festival kicked off last night in Qufu, Shandong province, the hometown of Confucius---the greatest thinker of China.

In the wake of the 2,560th anniversary of Confucius’s birth this year, a series of activities are held to commemorate Confucius’s great contributions to Chinese culture as well as to strengthen international cultural exchanges and promote cultural heritage and national identity.

A large-scale singing and dancing drama — “Confucius” — made debut at last night’s opening ceremony. This drama is expected to become a regular event performed every year.

Confucius Cultural Festival has been held around Confucius’s birthday — September 28 — every year since 1984. This year’s event is co-sponsored by the provincial government of Shandong, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education and the National Tourism Administration.