The 2024 China International Confucius Cultural Festival began on Sept 27 in Confucius' birthplace of Qufu, Shandong province. [Photo/Dazhong News]

The 2024 China International Confucius Cultural Festival concluded in Qufu, Mutual Learning Among the hometown of Confucius, on Oct 7.

Celebrating the 2,575th anniversary of Confucius' birth, the annual event attracted more than 1,200 participants such as foreign diplomats to China, representatives of international organizations, representatives of renowned Confucian temples and academies, international guests, and student representatives.

The event was themed "Dialogue with Confucius: Mutual Learning Among Civilizations" and involved more than 70 Chinese overseas cultural centers and tourism offices. This made it the cultural festival with the most guests, the widest range of participation, and the richest content in recent years.

The festival included activities such as cultural exchanges, dialogues on civilization, artistic performances, exhibitions, and folk customs experiences, as well as the 19th UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy.

This year's event had 152 cultural and tourism activities held across Shandong from Sept 15 to Oct 17, and the joint celebration across the province fostered a distinct Shandong feeling.