Confucius back in style in modern China

You peng zi yuan fang lai, bu yi yue hu? To the thunderous beat of Xia Dynasty drums, 2,008 voices chanted this classic greeting from the sage of ancient China in welcoming 100,000 spectators from all over the world to the opening of the Beijing Olympics.

Confucius is not only being celebrated at the Olympic Games. The great philosopher and educator who lived from 551 to 479 BC, is enjoying renewed popularity in the China of the 21st century.

Having been repudiated for decades as representative of the feudal system, the philosophy and teachings of Confucianism - a moral and ethical code of conduct for all human relationships which would result in an ideal and harmonious social structure - can now be found in books, movies and television.