The Confucius Temple in Beijing hosts a ceremony to celebrate the birthday of the ancient philosopher. CAO BOYUAN/FOR CHINA DAILY
China's cultural heritage experts say more needs to be done to protect the sites linked to the ancient scholar
There is a need to better protect Confucius' legacy, according to the latest report on the topic released by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.
The report is based on a survey of 546 major Confucian sites on the mainland.
Most such sites are academies or temples that honor Confucius and other ancient Chinese scholars but also include old residences of Confucian philosophers throughout history.
Shanxi, Henan and Sichuan are the three provinces with the most Confucian temples on the list, with over 30 each.
Hunan has 23 academies, more than any other province. It's home to Yuelu, probably China's best-known academy, which dates to the 10th century.
The new report was mainly drafted by the municipal cultural heritage bureau of Shandong province's Qufu, Confucius' hometown.
The eastern city's Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion are on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
The temple in Qufu is the oldest and the largest of its type.
"China's ancient dynasties paid homage to Confucius to maintain social harmony," says Zhou Hongyu, a professor at the Central China Normal University in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province.
"Many literary greats are also worshipped in Confucian temples to widen the understanding of Confucianism. These temples are the pantheons of Chinese culture."
Confucian scholars played a pivotal role in China's education system in ancient times and helped spread Confucianism to Vietnam, Japan and the Korean Peninsula, among other places.
Zhou says further comparative study between China's Confucian sites and their counterparts abroad is also necessary.
While the new report praises the progress made in recent years to increase public awareness on Confucius' philosophy and preserving traditional culture, more needs to be done to restore the sites.
"The Confucian temples in different places have developed diverse characteristics," says Chen Wei, a professor from Southeast University in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province.
