Commemorating Confucius with highest traditional Chinese etiquette

A sacrificial ceremony -- "Shidian etiquette" -- to commemorate the 2,568th anniversary of Confucius' birth was held at the Beijing Confucian Temple and the Imperial College on Sept 28.

"Shidian etiquette" has been used for thousands of years to commemorate the ancient educator and pass on traditional Chinese ritual culture.

A sacrificial ceremony to commemorate the 2,568th anniversary of Confucius' birth opens at the Beijing Confucian Temple and the Imperial College on Sept 28. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Over 200 students from Beijing Guangqumen Middle School read aloud the "Liyunpian" -- a passage about the Great Harmony in society -- at the temple, which signaled the beginning of the ritual.

A student said this was the first time she had participated in such a traditional Chinese ritual to commemorate the great Chinese educator.

She also expressed her excitement about the sacrificial ceremony and mentioned that the ritual is a chance for middle school students to learn more about traditional Chinese culture.

"Yi Wu" -- the highest level ritual dance and an important part of traditional Chinese etiquette -- is performed during the sacrificial ceremony to show respect to Confucius. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

More than 300 people including education experts and scholars, descendants of Confucius and Beijing citizens gathered at the temple which has 700 years of history, saluting Confucius with "Sibai etiquette", which is the highest formality in ancient China for the Han people, and watching "Ba Yi Wu" -- the highest level ritual dance and an important part of traditional Chinese etiquette.

Dong Ting, vice president of the China Next Generation Education Foundation's Sinology Education Development Fund, also participated in the event and mentioned that she took part in the "Ba Yi Wu" dance at the first sacrificial ceremony in 2010 and recalls being nervous but proud.

"I learned a lot about traditional Chinese culture, particularly its propriety and music after the dancing training," Dong said.

Children at the Gongfang Gongxue School attend the ceremony and learn traditional Chinese etiquette. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com]

She added "After that I decided to be an inheritor of traditional Chinese culture and was lucky to become a member of the Sinology Education Development Fund this year."

Dong encouraged her students at the Dongfang Gongxue School and their parents to join in the event and hoped that this activity will promote traditional Chinese culture to more people.

The ceremony also symbolized the closing of the Sixth Beijing Confucian Temple and the Imperial College Sinology Culture Festival, which lasted for 21 days.

Dongfang Gongxue School is an education institute teaching traditional Chinese culture, including Chinese literature, propriety and music, to children aged three to eighteen. Its mission is to promote intangible cultural heritages to the younger generation and cultivate talents through traditional Chinese etiquette.