In late September, ‘the 2022 China (Qufu) International Confucius Culture Festival and the 8th Nishan World Civilization Forum’ were held in Jining, Shandong Province, China. For three days, people from academic circles and other parties gathered in Nishan, commemorated Confucius and talked freely about Confucianism and world civilization. For many people, this is an opportunity to ‘get in touch’ with Confucius at close range, and to experience the existence and influence of Confucius on the inheritance and development of Chinese culture.

Chen Xuanyu and other students from Jining University No.2 Affiliated Primary School participated in a large-scale panoramic light and shadow performance of “Confucius and Global Thinkers” on the evening of September 26. Chen Xuanyu said that this story is about Confucius. She and her friends stepped onto the stage and performed the song ‘A group of deer roaring happily, nibbling on mugwort in the wilderness’. Tang Zhihong, who performed with Chen Xuanyu, said that he was was surprised to find that his relatives’ children didn’t see the statue of Confucius. In the city of Qufu, knowing about ‘Confucius’ has become a cultural habit. They learn about ‘The Analects of Confucius’, know the principles of morality and practice, and the integration of knowledge and behaviour.

Liu Tongyu and Liu Yarui are students of Qufu Normal University. When they first arrived in Qufu, they were were fascinated by the splendid Confucian elements here. Whether it’s the name of the street or the style of the building, people can tell at a glance that this is the hometown of Confucius. Confucius is best known as a ‘Master’.

In fact, people sometimes give so much meaning to Confucius that they forget the seemingly ordinary but most precious role of ‘teacher’. Professor Kong Deli, who attended the forum, said that when visiting the Confucius Temple, people should not only remember the names and numbers of those landscapes and buildings, but also learn about the cultural and educational achievements of Confucius. This is why we are currently commemorating Confucius, he pioneered the teaching mode of ‘teaching without discrimination’, so that education is no longer a single group, but should belong to everyone. If people are willing to learn, they can become better.

To be a good person is probably the original intention of many people to learn Confucianism. From introspective self-cultivation to learning and achieving. Meng Weilong, from America, has lived in China for more than 20 years, and now lives in Jinan, Shandong Province. He appreciates this proverb, ‘When we see a man of virtue and talent, we should think of equalling them; when we see a man of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves.’ It means that People should understand and reflect through comparison. Meng Weilong used to be an associate professor at Confucius Institute in Shandong University, and a master’s supervisor, and the Executive Editor-in-Chief of the International Edition of the Journal of Literature, History and Philosophy. Meng Weilong had two degrees in China and found a suitable platform to apply what he has learned. Among them, the International Edition of the Journal of ‘Literature, History and Philosophy’ is a channel to communicate between Chinese scholars and global sinologists．

Civilization is not fixed, it is fluid. This communication spans continents and oceans, and transcends skin color and language. At the Nishan World Youth Forum held on September 26, International student Ai Mu has attracted a lot of attention. Some people asked if he could use some phrases in ‘The Analects of Confucius’. Ai Mu replied in Chinese that Confucius once said, ‘It is always a pleasure to greet a friend from afar’,‘Be certain of what you know and don’t prentend to know things you don’t ’, ‘When three people walk together, there must be my teacher’, ‘Choose the good from it, the poor instead’ and so on, Ai Mu kept saying the famous words of Confucius.

Chinese people rejoice in the global dissemination and acceptance of Confucianism, and will not be blindly arrogant but have a clear understanding of Confucianism and the cultural forms of the world. In Nishan Lecture Hall, on the afternoon of September 27, many scholars held a discussion and many issues related to the cultural exchanges between China and the global culture.

Yan Binggang, a professor at the Advanced Institute for Confucian Studies, Shandong University, believes that Confucian culture is an important existence in the cultural diversity of human beings. Zhang Hongmin, a researcher at the Institute of Philosophy of Zhejiang Academy of Social Sciences, believes that the ‘Benevolence of All Things’ in Confucianism can serve as a bridge between Chinese and Western cultures. In the multi-civilization of mankind, Chinese and western cultures coexist, so it is necessary to seek harmony through mutual influence.

This is the main theme of the Nishan World Civilization Forum, which is the diversity of human civilization and the common value of mankind.