First spring Confucius fete held in E China

Photo taken on April 6, 2008, shows fete attenders performing a ceremony during the grand spring worship commemorating Confucius, in Qufu, east China's Shandong Province. The 3-day grand fete, starting from April 4, the traditional Qingming Festival for Chinese people to pay respect to past ancestors, is the first of its kind since the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949. The ceremonies reproduced the whole procedure of traditional spring Confucius fetes as is recorded in Confucian classics. Confucius (551-479 BC), born in Qufu, was a great ancient thinker, educator and statesman in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC). As the founder of Confucianism, he has been worshiped by Chinese people for over 2,000 years. (Xinhua Photo)

Photo taken on April 6, 2008, shows fete attenders performing a ceremony during the grand spring worship commemorating Confucius, in Qufu, east China's Shandong Province. (Xinhua Photo)

Photo taken on April 6, 2008, shows a city gate opening ceremony during the grand spring worship commemorating Confucius, in Qufu, east China's Shandong Province.(Xinhua Photo)