The opening ceremony of the 2024 China International Confucius Cultural Festival and the award ceremony of the 19th UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy were held on the evening of Sept 27 in Qufu.

During the opening ceremony's presentation of the results from "Confucius in My Eyes" Global Gen Z Photo, Short-video, and Writing Contest, overseas youth representing five continents shared their understanding and insights on Confucius with attending leaders and guests. They expressed that the humanistic spirit and moral concepts embodied in Confucian ideology continue to guide the growth and development of youth worldwide.

Hewaralalage Chethiya Raj Sampath became a "Confucius fan" when studying Chinese in Sri Lanka. He was determined to come to China, to attend university in Qufu, Shandong. The Confucian virtues of refinement, hospitality, humility, and courtesy are exemplified in the words and actions of the people here, influencing him through their every word and deed. He also hopes that more and more young people can visit Confucius' hometown and experience the hospitality of Shandong.

During the opening ceremony's presentation of the results from "Confucius in My Eyes" Global Gen Z Photo, Short-video, and Writing Contest, overseas youth representatives from five continents share their understanding and insights on Confucius with attending leaders and guests. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

During her time at university, Maria, a youth representative from the United States, participated in a teaching support program organized by her school. She witnessed the children's intense thirst for knowledge, as reflected in their eyes. Therefore, she could personally appreciate how great Confucius' educational philosophy of "education without discrimination" proposed over two thousand years ago, truly is.

International attendees at the opening ceremony of the 2024 China International Confucius Cultural Festival on Sept 27. [Photo by Yang Guoqing/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Anna from Australia was lauded for wearing traditional Chinese-style academic clothing at her master's graduation. This reminded her of the ancient Chinese classics saying, "The greatness of etiquette is called Xia, the beauty of clothing and adornment is called Hua." The combination of clothing and etiquette embodies Confucius' idea of "proper attire", and she hopes to continue sharing the beauty of Chinese culture with the world.

During her high school years in France, the European youth representative, Dubrey ZoébAbigaïl Cassyopée, befriended a Chinese friend. Later, she came to China for university studies, continuing to learn Chinese and traditional Chinese culture. Last year, she won the gold prize in a recitation competition. As a student of Chinese international education, she hopes to spread Confucian classics abroad, allowing more people to experience the unique charm of Chinese culture.

The African youth representative from Morocco, Salma, mentioned that her uncle, an Arab author, often said, "Civilized people in the world, regardless of their level, all know Confucius." Her uncle sparked her love for Confucian thought and Chinese culture. Due to this passion, she decided to make Confucius the main theme for her doctoral research. She hopes to promote the exchange of literature and culture among countries through cross-linguistic and cross-cultural comparisons. She expressed that now Confucius is no longer just China's Confucius, but the world's Confucius.

Members of the "Global Influencers Appreciate the Wisdom of Confucius" media tour display ancient Chinese etiquette on Sept 28. [Photo by Yang Guoqing/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

During the Confucius Cultural Festival, overseas Gen Z participants also were at the grand ceremony of the annual Memorial Ceremony for Confucius. They visited places such as the Luyuan village, Luyuan Town, Confucius Temple, Kong Family Mansion, and the Confucius Museum, experiencing traditional cultural practices such as the "Six Arts" and woodblock printing. Through these experiences, they deeply felt the enduring influence of Confucian ideology and the perpetual rejuvenation of Chinese civilization.

Participants from the "Global Influencers Appreciate the Wisdom of Confucius" media tour pose for a group photo at Confucius Temple on Sept 28. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]