Two and a half thousand years after his death, the teacher from Qufu still shapes how China thinks, studies and treats its guests.
To learn and to practice what you have learned at the right time — is this not a joy?
In Qufu, Shandong, the air smells of cypress and incense. The Confucius Temple, enlarged by emperors for two thousand years, stretches over nine courtyards; stone steles record every dynasty that came to pay respect. Yet the man himself was never an emperor — he was a teacher who travelled from state to state, seeking a ruler who would listen.
Confucius believed that order begins with the person: cultivate yourself, then your family, then the world. His sayings — “Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself”, “Learning without thinking is wasted” — became the grammar of Chinese life. Officials studied him for examinations; villagers quoted him to settle disputes; parents still repeat his words to children.
Foreign visitors often feel that China is polite and orderly; much of that comes from this teacher. The etiquette of greeting, the respect for education, the value placed on family — all bear his mark. Two and a half thousand years later, his students are still everywhere — including everyone who comes to learn a little about China.
