Children read ancient stories at the Confucius Temple in Jilin, Jilin province.[Photo by Zhu Wan Chang/For China Daily]

Reinforcing values

Concerned that the teachings of China's best-known sage will lose ground as a result of the country's rapid development and ongoing urbanization, the government is moving to reinforce traditional cultural education nationwide.

Confucian teaching rests on the belief that humans are fundamentally good, and can be taught and changed by personal and communal endeavor and self-cultivation. The sage's maxims, such as "How happy we are to meet friends from afar", "Harmony should be cherished" and "Do not do to others what you do not want others to do to you", have remained popular in China for thousands of years.

Although the teachings were heavily criticized during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76), the country's top leaders are now stressing their importance.

In 2013, President Xi Jinping visited the hometown of Confucius, Qufu city in Shandong, and made a speech after attending a discussion with Confucian experts.

In his address, Xi said research into the philosopher and his beliefs should make the past serve the present, discarding the less-valuable while keeping the essential so the thoughts of the renowned philosopher will continue to exert a positive influence today.

In 2014, Xi made a speech at the opening of an international conference to commemorate the 2,565th anniversary of Confucius' birth, becoming the first Chinese president to address an international conference dedicated to the works of the great sage.

If a country - no matter which country - does not cherish its own thinking and culture, its people lose their souls and it will not be able to stand, Xi told the audience.