sign in sign up
<<
Home , Qilu Evening News, Qufu

20 TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 22, 2009 SHANDONGSPECIAL DAILY

Cultural wealth to boost ’s economy

By Zhao Ruixue local enterprises are now mak- International Cul- is to hold the Taishan Interna- The Qilu Evening News, a ing efforts to build their own tural Festival, which has been tional Climbing Festival every subsidiary of the group, has brands relating to local cultural ranked as one of the world’s top year, which aims to further been listed among the top 10 How to transfer time-honored characteristics. 10 most influential festivals by promote its recognition in evening newspapers in China cultural wealth into economic “Seeing the province’s rich- the International Festivals & the world. over the past four years. benefits is now a serious ness in cultural resources, the Events Association, brings both In , the provincial The paper’s brand value is concern of the authorities in authorities in Shandong are culture and an annual revenue capital, the Cultural Industry now evaluated at more than Shandong, the hometown of also intensifying its efforts of over 2 billion yuan for the Exposition, which has been 1.4 billion yuan. Confucius. to support the brand-building tourism sector. held for the past two years, has Shandong Publishing Group Last year, the province saw initiative,” Li added. Another place with cul- witnessed the signing of more is another successful example its cultural industry — a sec- According to statistics from tural significance is Taishan than 1,500 projects related to in brand building. Its assets tor that the locals refer to as the provincial government, Mountain, one of “Five Sacred cultural industry. totaled 8.43 billion yuan and including publications, media, a total of 45 billion yuan has Mountains” in China and a In addition to the festivals sales revenue was 6.73 billion animation and even tourism been invested in the cultural World Cultural and Natural and events, the province has yuan last year. — constitute about 20 percent sector during the first half of Heritage site. also seen the rise of some fa- Brands of private companies of year-on-year growth and this year. Since this October, the Grand mous brands in the media and in Shandong have also come earning 85.79 billion yuan in With regard to its cultural as- Worship of Heaven and Earth publication fields. to the forefront. Leading this Tens of thousands of people from across the globe come to revenue. sets, Li said Shandong, as one in Taishan will open to the For example, Dazhong News league is the King and Key Qufu every year for the Confucius Cultural Festival, helping “Shandong’s rich culture lays of the important birthplaces of public. Also called “fengshan” Group is now the leading news- Education Group based in make it one of the top 10 gatherings of its kind in the world. a solid base for the develop- the Chinese civilization, fea- in Chinese, this is an outdoor paper company in Shandong. . This book distributing ment of the province’s cultural tures Confucius Culture and performance that commemo- Last year the group’s total company reported 1.2 billion tributors in China. animation games and software industry,” said Li Qun, head of links to the Red Culture of the rates the historic ceremony assets reached 3 billion yuan yuan in sales revenue last With respect to the anima- development have been estab- the provincial publicity depart- Communist Party. held by ancient emperors. and its business revenues hit year, making it the number tion industry, three animation lished in , and ment, adding that a number of In addition, the China (Qufu) The area’s recent initiative 1.8 billion yuan. one among private book dis- industry bases featuring digital Jinan. Festival to commemorate the greatest thinker of China

By Wang Qian The Confucius Prize for Between the Contemporary Literacy is noted as the first Times and Confucius,” a CCTV international prize approved special program for the festi- To commemorate the great- by the UNESCO which was val, the 2009 Summit Forum est thinker and educator of named after a Chinese. on Businesspeople with Confu- China, the 2009 China (Qufu) The Confucius Prize for Cul- cian Traditions, as well as the International Confucius Cul- ture and the Confucius Prize First Forum on tural Festival will be held from for Tourism are dedicated to Influence on Honest and Clean September 27 to 30 in Qufu, recognizing the contributions Governments. a city in southwest Shandong of outstanding individuals, The online activity of “The province, also known as Con- governmental agencies and Dialogue Between the Contem- fucius’ hometown. non-governmental organiza- porary Times and Confucius,” The annual festival is a large tions in the two fields. begun in July will last to Octo- international celebration inte- The festival will also see the ber. To date, more than 3 million grating academic exchanges, release of the update of Confu- people have participated in this culture, tourism, economy, cius genealogy, which is the activity. In addition, a large- science and commerce. world’s most extensive family scale singing and dancing It has been held around Con- tree to date. The compilation of drama — “Confucius” — will fucius’s birthday — September the new genealogy has taken debut during the festival and 28 — since 1984. place for more than a decade is expected to become a regular The primary purpose of the at a cost of over 10 million event performed year-round. A ritual combining song and dance is the regular performance at the event. festival is commemorating yuan. Viewed as the link for Since the Han Dynasty Confucius’s great contributions the descendants of Confucius, (206 BC-220 AD), the thought to Chinese culture. It also aims to this genealogy is expected to of Confucius has extensively strengthen international cultural draw his descendants from all influenced China and other exchanges and promote cultural around the world to Qufu. neighboring countries. Over heritage and national identity. Besides these major activi- the past 2000 centuries, people Confucius, the sage of sages This year’s festival will be ties, a series of related events have held all kinds of activities composed of five major activi- are scheduled to make the to commemorate this sage. By Dai Yan Vietnam, successively built For more than 20 centu- ties: a memorial ceremony, the festival even more engaging. This year’s event is co- Confucius Temples to worship ries, memorial ceremonies release of the 8th update of Among them are the interna- sponsored by the Ministry of the great sage. Since the 18th have been held in the Qufu’s the Confucius Genealogy, and tional academic seminar for Culture, the Ministry of Educa- Confucius, whose actual name century, with the immigration Confucius Temple. The grand the award ceremonies for the the 2,560th anniversary of tion, the National Tourism Ad- was Qiu and courtesy of to countries ceremony was known as “The Confucius Prize for Literacy, Confucius’s birth, an online ministration and the provincial name was Zhongni, lived be- in Europe, the Americas, as Ceremony of the State” in Culture and Tourism. activity called “The Dialogue government of Shandong. tween 551 and 479 BC during well as Asia, started to build ancient times. Today, it is the the late years of China’s Spring Confucius Temples. There most influential ceremony dur- and Autumn Period (770-476 used to be 3,000 such temples ing the International Confucius BC). around the world, with 1,300 Culture Festivals. He was born in the city of still well preserved. Many of During this year’s festival, a Confucius Cultural Festival Schedule Qufu, which was located in the the temples, especially those special highlight will be given ancient Chinese state of . A in the Southeast Asia regions, to the descendents of Confucius, ■ Opening Ceremony of Time: September 27 ■ 2009 Memorial Ceremony great thinker, educator and Confucius continue to hold ceremonies a group of people surnamed 2009 China (Qufu) Interna- Venue: Qufu Apricot Altar for Confucius statesman as well as one of the to worship Confucius on his Kong, because of the release of tional Confucius Cultural Theater Time: September 28 most learned people of his time, of all ages.” birthday. a new edition of the Confucius Festival and award ceremonies ■ The Second World Confu- Venue: Hall of Great Perfec- Confucius was also the founder Confucianism is not only Confucian tenets have now Genealogy. of “The Confucius Prize for Lit- cian Studies Conference tion in the Temple of Confu- of a school of moral doctrine the core of traditional Chinese become the important sign of According to Guinness Book eracy,” “The Confucius Prize for Time: September 27-29 cius that encourages “justice” and culture, but has also deeply the East Asian culture and of World Records, the Confucius Culture” and “The Confucius Venue: The Research Institu- ■ Conference for commemo- “peace,” known today as Con- influenced the world’s cultural the significant heritage of the Genealogy is regarded as the Prize for Tourism” tion of Confucianism rating the 2,560th anniversary fucianism. history, and many intellectuals whole world. world’s longest family tree, re- Time: September 27 ■ The issuing ceremony of of Confucius’ birth Confucianism has a decisive and philosophers from around At present, more than 200 cording more than 70 branches Venue: Qufu Apricot Altar the eigth update of Confucius’ Time: September 22-28 influence on the traditional world have studied it. Confucius Colleges have been and two million names of the Theater Genealogy ■ 2009 Businesspeople Chinese culture. Later genera- Since the 17th century, established in more than 50 sage’s descendents. The Con- ■ Debut performance of Time: September 24 Conference tions honored Confucius as “the countries and regions around countries and regions in the fucius’ family tree boasts 83 “Confucius”, an impressive Venue: Qufu Temple of Con- Time: September 26-28 sage of sages” and “the teacher China, such as Japan, Korea, world. generations. singing and dancing drama fucius Venue:

Opening ceremony of the 2008 China (Qufu) International Confucius Cultural Festival.