Quzhou city – located in East China's Zhejiang province – is widely said to be taking great pride in its popular identity and brand as the "Home of Southern Confucianism · A Model City of Virtue".

Southern migration of Confucian family descendants

In early 1129, Kong Duanyou, an officially recognized direct descendant of the 48th generation of the Confucian family tree, moved most of his family members from Confucius' hometown of Qufu in East Shandong province – along with the Emperor Gaozong of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) – while fleeing the invading Jin army. They headed south and finally resettled in Quzhou.

Since that time, Quzhou has served as the second-biggest center for studying, interpreting and spreading of Confucian concepts in southern China.

Kong Xiangkai – the 75th eldest grandson of Confucius – was born in January 1938 in Quzhou and he passed away on Sept 28 on the 2,572nd birthday of Confucius, according to local media reports.

Kong was the director of the management committee of the Nanzong Confucius Temple in Quzhou. He had been diligently keeping Confucianism relevant through annual ceremonies commemorating the birth of the great thinker and educator.

Kong was instrumental in reviving the commemoration ceremony to mark the birth of Confucius in 2004, after the tradition had lapsed for more than 50 years in Quzhou.

Birthday ceremony of Confucius

As a result, nowadays a ceremony is held annually at the Nanzong Confucius Temple – one of the Confucius family temples – gathering officials, representatives from Confucius Institutes worldwide, scholars, students and descendants of the sage.

Grandpa Confucius

The cartoon image of Grandpa Confucius, a vivid cartoon image of Confucius, indicates that Quzhou is the "Home of Southern Confucianism".

China's grand vision of helping to build a community with a shared future for mankind is inspired by Confucianism.