2556 going on 3000: Confucius another year ... deader

Xinhua reported that the first official commemoration of the birth of Confucius occurred on Tuesday in Confucius' home town of Qufu in Shangdong Province (山东曲阜) since 1948. More than three thousand people showed up to pay homage to the great thinker. In fact, there were celebrations and ceremonies across China and the world, including in places like Zhejiang Province's Quzhou (浙江衢州) where in 2004 the first "Confucius Day" festival was held. Kids recited verses from Confucius' most well-known work, The Analects (论语). We're sure it must have been a stirring and patriotic scene.

Interestingly enough, if you try Googling "most Confucian society" you will find that just about every link you find on the first few pages refers not to China, but to Korea, which, during the Choseun dynasty, became quite thoroughly Confucianized and in the eyes of some has preserved old Kong's legacy better than his own people. That might have something to do with the fact that during the Cultural Revolution, Confucianism and its physical legacy -- Confucian temples -- were wantonly destroyed during the campaign against the "four olds", but we suppose that after reaching 1000, you start getting used to the ups and downs ...