East China city to promote Confucian lectures in villages

　　A widespread effort that will see hundreds of villages receive lessons on the philosophy of Confucius has begun in the sage's hometown of Qufu.

　　Shandong Province in east China has begun training lecturers on the philosophy and will task them with traveling to 405 villages, teaching one lesson a month, said Meng Po, an official with the tourism bureau of Qufu who drafted the plan.

　　The move aims to "popularize the knowledge of Confucianism, improve the quality of villagers, and create a harmonious environment", said Meng.

　　The lectures will be given in the courtyard of village committees or in village squares.

　　Meng noted that lecturers will be focusing on specific cases so as to make the theories more comprehendible. Villagers will be told to respect the elderly and get on well with neighbors, which are core values of Confucianism.

　　Qufu is currently recruiting lecturers who, after a selection process, will be trained before taking their teachings to the road.

　　A villager surnamed Kong in the Zhouzhuang village of Nishan Township, where Confucius was born more than 2,500 years ago, said, "Generation upon generation we live in here, and we shall not forget the admonishment of our ancestors."

　　According to Meng, they will also build a Confucian library and put on a new play about Confucianism in each village.

　　Confucius (551-479 BC), an educator and philosopher, founded the school of thought Confucianism that deeply influenced later generations. He was also the first Chinese person to set up private schools and enroll students from all walks of life.

　　Nationwide celebrations were held last month to mark the 2,565th anniversary of Confucius' birth.

　　After taking the helm as Chinese leader, Chinese President Xi Jinping has voiced his respect to Confucius and emphasis on traditional culture as one of the country's prime sources of soft power on multiple occasions.