Over 2,000 copies of archived records of the direct descendants of Confucius will be published over the next four years, authorities in the eastern province of Shandong said Sunday.

The archived records of "Yanshenggong", a hereditary title bestowed upon the eldest child of all direct descendants of Confucius, are published for the purpose of protection, according to the Shandong provincial bureau of cultural heritage.

The Yanshenggong was a hereditary official who coordinated commemoration ceremonies for Confucius and managed the family's internal affairs.

The Yanshenggong archives, in more than 9,000 volumes spanning 2,000 years, contain content covering politics, economics, culture and thought, according to Shandong provincial bureau of cultural heritage.

The archives are included in the Asia/Pacific Regional Register of Memory of the World, and, in China, they are classed as a protected ancient book.

Confucius (551-479 BC), an educator and philosopher, influenced generations of Chinese society. He was the first Chinese person to set up private schools that enrolled students from all walks of life. He is believed to have been born on Sept 28.