The Moon Festival, rooted in China’s long history and rich cultural traditions, will be celebrated on Sept. 21. In China, though, the festival is a three-day public holiday.
Confucius at the ‘Apricot Altar’. By Kano Tan'yû (Japanese, 1602–1674). Mid-17th century.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Confucius looked nothing like the great sage in his own time as he is widely known in ours. But his ideas continue to shape contemporary life for many.
The Chinese government has promoted a revival of Confucianism, along with traditional religious practices, as part of its nationalist agenda.
AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein
President Xi Jinping’s nationalist agenda includes supporting traditional Chinese religious beliefs and practices – as long as their leaders support the Chinese Communist Party.
A new exhibition pairs China’s famed Terracotta Warriors with contemporary works of inspiring ethereality. The contrasts here are many: life and death, harmony and chaos, energy and control, art and politics.
There are 1,113 Confucius Classrooms in 146 countries and regions across the world.
UniversityofMemphis/flickr
The review of Confucius Classrooms, which promote Chinese language learning, comes amid concerns about foreign influence, soft power and academic freedom.
Confucius deemed reflection the best way to wisdom.
Khatera Sahibzada, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
The ancient Chinese teacher called reflection the best way to become wise, yet we rarely consider it a core trait of a great leader. It’s time for that to change.
Offering food to deities in Hinduism has deep religious significance. And most Hindu deities are not served meat.
Plato, Confucius and Aristotle. Ancient Greek philosophy is widely taught in American universities, but classes in Chinese philosophy are few and far between.
Public domain
A prominent ethicist was recently accused of manipulating younger women into sexual relationships. A philosopher argues that being an ethicist comes with obligations. Otherwise, what is ethics for?
Confucius Institutes offer China a chance to teach people around the world about the country’s language and culture.
Shutterstock
China’s Confucius Institutes given foreigners a chance to learn more about the country. Africa must be careful that its universities’ partnerships with Confucius Institutes don’t create dependency.
Conventional wisdom holds that China - the world’s most populous country - is an inveterate polluter, that it puts economic goals above conservation in every instance. So China’s recent moves toward an…
President Xi Jinping has a PhD in Marxism and recently directed more resources to the study of the works of Marx and Mao Zedong.
AAP/Jason Reed
How does one come to understand China? Many wish to do so, especially in light of China’s growing global influence. For some, language is the key that opens the door. With Chinese language, one is able…
Confucius stands guard at Beijing’s Renmin University.
George (Sam) Crane
In today’s China, the philosopher Confucius is back. To mark his 2,565th birthday this September, the nation’s President, Xi Jinping, paid homage to the sage at an international conference convened for…