You peng zi yuan fang lai, bu yi yue hu? To the thunderous beat of Xia Dynasty drums, 2,008 voices chanted this classic greeting from the sage of ancient China in welcoming 100,000 spectators from all over the world to the opening of the Beijing Olympics.
Confucius is not only being celebrated at the Olympic Games. The great philosopher and educator who lived from 551 to 479 BC, is enjoying renewed popularity in the China of the 21st century.
Having been repudiated for decades as representative of the feudal system, the philosophy and teachings of Confucianism - a moral and ethical code of conduct for all human relationships which would result in an ideal and harmonious social structure - can now be found in books, movies and television.
Beijing Normal University professor Yu Dan's book Notes on The Analects of Confucius has sold millions of copies, making her the second bestselling writer last year.
The Confucius Foundation is preparing to make a documentary film about the influence of Confucius on contemporary Chinese people. That film will include commemorations for Confucius in his hometown of Qufu.
The shooting of a 150-million-yuan epic film entitled Confucius is scheduled to begin in November. Although the actor who will portray the sage has yet to be announced, the film has aroused strong interest. Possible choices include such stars as Chen Daoming, Jiang Wen and Tony Leung Chiu Wai.
"Although I have shot historical films and TV series like Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and The Yongzheng Dynasty, I accepted the project of Confucius with reverence and awe," said Hu Mei, director of the film. "How to portray such a great person's soul on film and from a contemporary perspective is the greatest challenge I have ever had in the film industry."
A TV series directed by Han Gang about the life of Confucius is also in the making. When asked whether the TV series is following today's craze for Confucius and the Chinese classics, the TV series' producer Zheng Wanlong said:"The craze for Confucius and the Chinese classics did not start today. These are core values in Chinese culture. A TV series is only a small effort to promote them."
As Confucius is increasingly portrayed in various modern media, some scholars are afraid that his thoughts and philosophy will not be delivered accurately. Peking University professor Zhang Yiwu disagreed, arguing that methods for promoting Confucius's ideas should be adapted to the times.
"Confucius was a person who adapted himself to his time. Facing the challenges of his time, he never gave up disseminating his ideas," he said. "Were Confucius alive today, he would certainly try to communicate with today's young in ways appropriate to our times."
