Over 2,000 copies of archived records of Chinese philosopher Confucius’s direct descendants will be published over the next four years, officials in his native Shandong province said.
The archived records of “Yanshenggong”, a hereditary title bestowed upon the eldest child of all direct descendants of Confucius, are published for the purpose of protection, the Shandong provincial bureau of cultural heritage said.
The Yanshenggong was a hereditary official who coordinated commemoration ceremonies for Confucius and managed the family’s internal affairs.
The archives, in more than 9,000 volumes spanning 2,000 years, contain content covering politics, economics, culture and thought, it said.
The archives are included in the Asia/Pacific Regional Register of Memory of the World, and, in China, they are classed as a protected ancient book.
Confucius is reported to have Six lakh descendants in China.
Confucius (551—479 BC), an educator and philosopher, influenced generations of Chinese society. He was the first Chinese person to set up private schools that enrolled students from all walks of life.
He is believed to have been born on September 28.
