The Qufu International Confucius Culture Festival is held every year in China between September 26th and October 10th in Qufu City, hometown of Confucius. Confucius (551-479 BC) was born on September 28th in Qufu, Shandong Province.

        Zhou Qi, mayor of Jinling City, said the current festival is to provide a series of colorful and distinctive cultural programs, academic exchanges and opportunities for economic and trade cooperation.

        During the festival, which runs from September 26 to October 10, sacrificial rites will be staged every day in front of the Confucius Temple.

        Celebrations include a grand ceremony of worshipping Confucius, performances at the Temple of Confucius and the Cemetery of Confucius and occasionally a kung fu competition. These performances are often accompanied with ancient music and dance, which are performed in an ornate manner.

        Confucius Culture Festival serves not only as a pageant to commemorate the world-famous philosopher, but a chance to introduce a splendid Chinese culture to the whole world.