Confucius cartoon contest seeks superior artist

An international contest to choose the cartoonist who best captures the image of iconic Chinese thinker and educator Confucius will reach its climax this month.

According to the Guiyang Confucius Academy, a private company based in southwest China, the contest will be judged from Aug 13 to 15 by group of artists that includes Fan Xinlin, a Chinese animator who has worked for Disney on features including Tarzan and Mulan.

Solicitations for entries began at the end of last year and cartoonists from more than 60 countries and regions have submitted over 1,000 entries.

Confucius often features in Chinese cartoons as a generic bearded old man in a robe. More than 2,000 years after the death of the sage, Confucius' philosophy deeply influences Chinese thinking to this day. He was also the first Chinese to set up a private school and enroll students from all walks of life.