Guiyang students mark milestone at ancient writing ceremony

Students participate in the First Writing Ceremony at the Confucius Academy of Guiyang in Guizhou province on Thursday. [Photo by Zhang Jie/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Over 400 students from Guiyang No 2 Experimental Primary School attended the First Writing Ceremony at the Confucius Academy of Guiyang in Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou province, on Thursday.

The First Writing Ceremony, also known as the Qi Meng (Enlightenment) Ceremony, was an important event for every student before being admitted to school in ancient China.

Red dots are drawn on the students' foreheads to represent the opening of the wisdom eye. Teachers then give lectures on basic principles of behavior. The ceremony symbolizes that the children are ready to take a step in the lifelong pursuit of knowledge.

Students participate in the First Writing Ceremony at the Confucius Academy of Guiyang in Guizhou province on Thursday. [Photo by Zhang Jie/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Students participate in the First Writing Ceremony at the Confucius Academy of Guiyang in Guizhou province on Thursday. [Photo by Zhang Jie/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]