China (Qufu) International Confucius Culture Festival, 2008

Time: September 22 -30

Address: Jining, Shandong

Contents: This festival is on the theme of ‘Approaching Confucius, greeting the Olympic Games, veins of the same origin and building a harmonious world’, and focuses on carrying forward the excellent traditional culture of China while attracting Chinese locals and overseas Chinese to participate. With regard to ‘Approaching Confucius’--- Chinese locals and overseas Chinese met in Confucius’ home village, they participated in a Confucius cultural exchange week, and worship of Confucius with Chinese and overseas Chinese together.  The activities were designed to further strengthen cultural identity and national self-confidence of Chinese and overseas Chinese from all over the world and to better serve the national cultural strategy to promote the construction of a harmonious society and a harmonious world. This year’s Confucius Culture Festival is hosted for the first time by the Shandong Provincial Government and relevant state ministries and commissions for the first time. The festival is high-quality and large scale, requiring government involvement  and market perspectives as well as social participation, and close connection between cultural activities, technology, trade and tourism activities. As a result, it can give international prominence to Shandong, demonstrate openness to the outside world and the further the expansion and promotion of Qilu culture globally.