China is one of the countries with the most ancient civilization of mankind, greatly influencing the formation and development of cultural colors of many countries around the world.
Confucianism played an important role in the formation of Chinese ideology. Of all the doctrines and ideologies, the most notable is still the Confucian system of thought. It has been a Chinese ideology from the Han Dynasty to the early 20th century.
Let’s learn these facts to understand more about the thoughts and way of life of the ancient Chinese!
1. Qufu was the hometown of Confucius
Dubbed the Jerusalem of the East, the sacred city of China and the true cradle of Chinese history and culture, this city is the Qufu of Shandong, a modest historical and cultural city. Expensive but profound.
Qufu was the hometown of Confucius and the birthplace of the Emperor, Emperor Yan, and Shaohao both moved their capitals here.
The more than 5,000 years of history of the Chinese nation began here, and each descendant of the Emperor had a deep connection with the city of Qufu.
2. Confucius married when he was 19
At 19 years old, he got married and worked in a small management office of treasures and fair wages.
Before that, he also held the position of an official specializing in farm management and achieved good results. Therefore, Confucius became a manager of construction.
3. Qualities taught by Confucianism specify how one should live and act
Born from the need to stabilize social order, the content of Confucianism deals with two issues: politics and morality.
According to the Confucian point of view, the basic moral standards that a gentleman should have include: Humanity, Ceremony, Righteousness, Intelligence, and Faith.
Humanity is the first and most basic moral standard in Confucian ethics. All other ethical standards revolve around this central norm.
From Humanity, other virtues are born, and other virtues converge with Humanity, which is the manifestation of Humanity.
Thus, Confucianism considers and evaluates people through social relationships, sets relatively specific ethical standards, and specifies each individual’s moral responsibility for himself and his family.
Confucianism especially emphasizes self-cultivation, considering this the most important requirement in human moral cultivation.
4. The Five Classics and the Four Books make up the Confucian Canon
The Four Books are the four classics of Chinese Confucianism, selected by Zhou Xi during the Song Dynasty. The Four Books include University, Trung Dung, Analects, and Mencius.
The Five Classics are the classics in Chinese literature that serve as the foundation of Confucianism. According to legend, these five books were all edited by Confucius.
5. In the entire world, 6.3 million individuals practice Confucianism
Although a Chinese ideology, it has become popular in Asian countries. This ideology has spread to many countries, such as Korea, Japan, Vietnam, etc. One can see the presence of Confucianism in historical documents and films today.
6. The Fall of Confucianism
As they entered the 20th century, young Chinese people realized that Confucianism was not a modern ideology.
In 1915, the New Culture Movement began. This movement effectively attacked and shook the dominance of feudal orthodoxy for a long time.
It awakened a generation of young people, causing Chinese intellectuals, especially young people, to change with Western scientific and democratic ideas.
This ideology created favorable conditions for a new ideological trend in line with China’s needs, especially the spread of Marxism in China.
7. Every year, there is a festival to honor Confucius
In 1934, the government of the Republic of China designated August 27 as the birthday of Confucius, the founder of Confucius, and listed it as a national day of remembrance, with a public holiday.
Since then, the time of Confucius’s sacrifice has changed from the festival held twice a year in Spring and Autumn to the ceremony on his birthday.
Taiwan still uses the custom of making sacrifices on birthdays. On that day, Confucius’s worshiping activities were held simultaneously around the world.
8. The most well-known Confucius Temple in China is in Qufu
Qufu Confucius Temple is the main temple dedicated to Confucius.
It is the first temple and the model of more than 2,000 Confucian temples distributed in China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, the United States, and other countries.
They built the temple in 478 B.C. It is the longest-used temple in China and one of the most famous ancient architectural complexes in China.
It has been in use for more than 2,400 years and is the longest-used clan cemetery in China and the world.
9. The Cemetery of Confucius has had 13 reconstructions
After Confucianism became a Chinese ideology during the Han Dynasty, the Confucius Cemetery underwent 13 renovations.
Today, this is the destination of many tourists around the world. In addition, it is evidence of the powerful ideology of China at that time.
10. Before Confucianism gained popularity, Confucius passed away
When he was 72 years old, he suddenly learned that his son Zhongyou had died in a natural disaster. In the second lunar month of the following year (479 BC), Confucius fell ill and died on the 7th day in his hospital bed.
At this time, Confucianism was not widely spread. It was not until the Han Dynasty, when the king used Confucianism as the ideology to rule, that Confucianism became popular in the country and neighboring countries.
FAQs
What is the most important thing in Confucianism?
Confucianism holds that in social relationships, loyalty and prestige are the most important. It is hard to do great things in life without these two qualities.
What is Confucius best known for?
Confucius was a great educator and created a Confucian ideology. This ideology later became the guideline for the way of life of the Chinese people.
In addition, he has compiled many valuable books that still appear in the educational system of students today.
What is unique about Confucianism?
The uniqueness of Confucianism is that it is people-oriented. Other faiths revere the supernatural and hold that these supernatural beings are responsible for organizing everything.
Meanwhile, Confucianism emphasizes the role of people in life. Confucianism believes that people need to have good qualities to have an orderly life.
Conclusion
Confucianism is still present in the lives of the Chinese people. It is a beautiful cultural feature of China’s long history. We are updating articles about this country, so please come back often to our website!