Shandong to draw global attention with Confucius cultural festival

QUFU, China, Sept. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- East China's Shandong province is the birthplace of Confucianism and one of the core origins of Chinese civilization, having cultivated the land for millennia. The belief system has deeply rooted itself in the hearts of its people, shaping their lifestyles and the nation's values.

The Shandong Provincial People's Government announced that on Sept 27 and 28 the 2025 International Confucius Cultural Festival will be held in Qufu, administered by Jining. It was the hometown of Confucius, who was revered as a sage living during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC) and was the founder of Confucianism.

Themed "A Vision of Confucius: A World in Harmonious Coexistence", this year's festival will feature three major events, including an opening ceremony with the 20th awards ceremony of the UNESCO Confucius Prize, a memorial ceremony for Confucius, and a "study tour with Confucius" tourism-themed event, all in celebration of the 2,576th birthday of the sage.

In the past two decades since the UNESCO Confucius Prize started in 2005, the prize has seen 57 excellent projects from 36 countries including South Africa, Spain and Pakistan. They've promoted the implementation and effectiveness of the quality education goal in the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals and received widespread praise and high recognition from the global education community. This is evidence enough for Confucius' saying: "Education without distinction" — and knowledge belongs to all who seek it.

Shandong, with its rich Confucian culture heritage, has always attracted the attention of the world. The tourism-themed event to be released during the festival aims to get visitors into a richer and more immersive cultural experience, touring Shandong's mountains and rivers, savoring Confucius' wisdom and exploring the connotation of harmonious coexistence. Meanwhile, a series of provincial-range study tours featuring Confucian culture will be launched.

In addition, the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism will join China Daily to host an event entitled "Global influencers explore Confucius' hometown in shandong" from Sept 28 to 30.

About 10 international media figures, bloggers and cultural influencers will visit Qufu, Tai'an and Zibo, exploring Confucian heritage, Taishan Mountain and the colored glaze cultures through special immersive experiences. The event will feature interactive sessions, creating diverse content to amplify Shandong's cultural appeal and tell its stories to the world.