Managers of the cemetery holding the remains ofancient Chinese philosopherConfucius and his descendants have begun using anew electronic system mapping the site and keeping tabs on visitors.
The 200-hectare cemetery, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the philosopher's hometown of Qufu City in Shandong Province, has been mapped by the city's cultural relics bureau.
The map shows roads, rivers, pipelines, firefighting facilities, tourist attractions, buildings and ancient trees.
About 7,000 stone tablets and over 20,000 tombs are shown, according to Kong Deming, head of the site's funeral administration office.
Access to the cemetery is restricted on special occasions such as Tomb Sweeping Day every April and Confucius' birthday in September, when descendants are allowed to enter and burn incense paper, a custom in Chinese commemorations of ancestors.
These visitors will now be provided with key cards to scan upon entry. The new system will record personal information from the cards, strengthening management of fire hazards, Kong was quoted as saying by state-run Xinhua news agency.
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 as China celebrated the philosopher's 2,566th birth anniversary recently.
The Chinese government is also opening 10,000 Confucius schools all over the country to spread his teachings.
