Confucius (551–479 BC) may have lived over 2,500 years ago, but his ideas are still drawing global attention to this day, and especially this month. Scholars and leaders from all around the world will gather in Qufu, Jining, Shandong province, for the 2026 China International Confucius Cultural Festival and the Nishan Forum on World Civilizations, both opening on Sept 28.

Sept 28 is traditionally observed as the birthday of Confucius, whose teachings have influenced people, businesses, and governments in East Asia for over two millennia. Qufu is the sage's hometown and home to the Temple and Cemetery of Confucius. The latter has ranked as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994.

The Confucius festival, based on the theme of "Benevolence and Rituals for a World of Shared Harmony", will open with an opening ceremony followed by a grand memorial ceremony for Confucius. Activities run through Oct 7, with about 300 participants from 44 countries and regions expected. Grand Canal No 1 series tourism cruises debuted in Jining on Sept 24 with eight tourism route products, while the city has also developed 18 study-tour routes and over 60 new cultural tourism scenarios and business formats using AI and AR technologies.

First held in 2010, the Nishan Forum will gather about 340 guests, including 120 foreign guests, from over 40 countries and regions. Running under the banner "Civilization, Order, and Justice", it will discuss Confucianism's contemporary value, civilizational resilience in global governance, cross-cultural dialogue, and AI's role in a harmonious world. This will see it draw on ideas such as benevolence and harmony without uniformity to explore responses to algorithmic bias and the digital divide.