China exempts teachers from paying fees at Confucius temple

China has exempted teachers from paying hefty ticket fee to visit the Confucius temple, mansion and cemetery in bid to promote the ancient Chinese philosopher who is being resurrected by the ruling Communist Party in a big way after decades of neglect.
Kong Deping, head of Qufu city bureau of cultural heritage Shandong Province, the home town of Confucius where his temple has existed said that a draft proposal had been made to stop charging teachers from next year.
To save the hefty 150 yuan (about USD 25), teachers will be required to verify their occupation.
"Confucius, who started China's first private school 2,000 year ago, should be revered by all contemporary teachers," said Li Changsheng, the city's Party secretary.

"Teachers will welcome the new policy and bring more of their families and students to visit," said Kong Weifeng, a teacher at Qufu Experimental Primary School and a 78th-generation descendant of Confucius.
All of the descendants bear the family name "Kong".

Four million people visit the site every year, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
For thousands of years,Confuciushas been regarded as a symbol of China's traditional culture, as well as the country's intellectuals.
He was venerated as a great sage in ancient China, but despised as a regressive pedant during the decade-long Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), headed by Mao Zedong the founder of the ruling Communist Party of China, (CPC).

The Party is now resurrectingConfuciusin a big way as part of restoration of Chinese culture.
China celebrated 2,566th birth anniversary ofConfuciusrecently. Chinese government is also opening 10,000Confuciusschools all over the country to spread his teachings.
China is preparing a bid for the family cuisine of the venerated scholar to be listed as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.