BEIJING, Oct. 2, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- 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 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.
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.
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.
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/representatives-of-gen-z-share-confucius-in-my-eyes-at-2024-china-intl-confucius-cultural-festival-302265412.html
SOURCE China Daily