The Benevolent Heart of the Sage—The Long History of Confucianism

‌ Visit Qufu, an ancient city with a 3,000-year history, and check in to your hotel before heading to the Confucius Museum. Under the auspicious clouds, the tall and solemn statue of Confucius stands in front of the Hall of Worship, and you can almost hear the words, "Is it not a joy to have friends come from afar?" The exhibition hall begins with a multimedia presentation, "Great Confucius." Qufu is the birthplace of Confucianism, and the Confucius Museum is a modern museum opened in 2019 to commemorate Confucius. The main exhibits are divided into a preface hall and five sections. The preface hall provides a general introduction to Confucius through multimedia projections, while the five sections cover the era of Confucius, the life of Confucius, the wisdom of Confucius, Confucius and Chinese civilization, and Confucius and world civilization. "Confucius was a great thinker, educator, and the founder of the Confucian school. He was determined to learn as a young man, traveled to Qi in his youth, served in government and traveled to various countries in his prime, and returned to Lu in his later years to promote education and compile the Six Classics, setting an example for future generations. From youth to old age, Confucius devoted his life to his ideals with a benevolent heart, a commitment to the well-being of all people, and the courage to do what he knew was impossible." "From scholarship to teaching, from philosophy to governance, from reflecting on history to understanding the world, Confucius' wisdom is profound and far-reaching, and his thoughts are broad and deep. He guided people to build a better world with benevolence as the core, propriety as the norm, and moderation as the method. The Confucian system of thought founded by Confucius is the crystallization of Chinese history and culture and the main axis of traditional Chinese culture." Confucius belongs to China and the world; for more than 2,000 years, Confucianism has spread across mountains and oceans, and as of the end of 2023, there are 498 Confucius Institutes in 160 countries and regions around the world.