Reviving Confucius philosophy

By Wu Liping (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-06-20 07:42

The exhibition on Confucius' life gives insight into the full extent of this great scholar's influence. Confucius (551-479 BC) was a philosopher, educator and founder of the Confucian school established late in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC).

His ideology exerted enormous influence, not only to the Chinese but on peoples of the world.

Centuries ago China was a powerful country that set itself up as the model for its Asian neighbors. Mainstream Confucianism was disseminated and absorbed to the extent that it still constitutes the moral and social criterion of many Asian countries.

Pictorial materials, wooden models, stone sculptures and their accompanying explanatory texts tell of the Confucius Temples built in Hanoi, Vietnam and Nagasaki in Japan, and other Asian countries. Establishment of the US Academy of Confucius in California and Confucius Institute in Maryland bear witness to dissemination of this ideology in modern times.

Expat visitors might also come across familiar faces and names among the exhibits, such as Marco Polo, Matthieu Ricci and Voltaire, all of whom were strong advocates of Confucianism in the Western world.

State-of-the-art video technology and installations add a vital, on-the-spot effect to the exhibition. One such exhibit, entitled Dialogue with Confucius, is arranged in a mini classroom. Confucius appears on the left of a big screen hanging on the front wall, holding a book. Video equipment set up under the screen simulates a class platform. A viewer stepping in front of the video sees his image on the right-hand side of the screen, facing the great teacher as if he were one of his disciples. Touching the video screen prompts an ostensibly "live" recital of the classic works of Confucius that fills the room.

This, and the other three exhibitions: the Historical Evolution of the Confucius Temple; Restoration Show of the Imperial College; and the Imperial Civil Examination System Exhibition, present an overall view of the museum's historical function.

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