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A standard statue of ancient Chinese philosopher and educator Confucius was unveiled over the weekend in Qufu in East China`s Shandong Province.
The China Confucius Foundation unveiled the statue in order to give the sage a single, recognizable identity around the world.
However, some scholars believe the foundation is conducting a kind of "cultural violence."
The standard statue was unveiled before the 2,557th anniversary of the great man`s birthday in September.
The idea, a copyrighted statue, was developed because the image of Confucius differs in historical works. People can also see various representations of Confucius in different parts of China.
"As a symbol of Chinese history and culture, Confucius is widely known around the world. A standard portrait is needed so that different countries can have the same image of him," said Zhang Shuhua, the foundation`s secretary-general.
The final standard statue depicts Confucius as an old man with a long beard, broad mouth and big ears. He wears a robe and crosses his hands on his chest.
It was based on the painting of Confucius by Wu Daozi of the Tang Dynasty (AD618-907), together with advice from Confucian scholars, historians, artists and his descendants.
The new statue highlights the ancient philosopher`s kind appearance as well as cultured and gentle characteristics.
But not everyone agrees with the need for a standard statue. Zou Wen, a professor with the Arts Institution of Tsinghua University, says the new sculpture lacks a historical basis and restricts people`s imagination about the ancient educator.
It is "arbitrary" for Shandong Province to unveil a standard statue simply because it was his home, Zou was quoted by the Beijing News as saying after seeing the draft sculpture released in June for suggestions and advice.
Confucius was the founder of Confucianism, which advocates the building of a harmonious society through individuals` self-refinement in manners and taste.
It has been used as the basis of stability by Chinese rulers since the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 25) and spread to other regions of East Asia and South Asia.
Confucianism dominated Chinese society for centuries, and spread to Europe in the late 16th century.
Born in 551 BC, Confucius, a great thinker, philosopher, statesman and educator, has more than 3 million descendants, with many in Qufu, according to latest statistics.
There are 2.5 million descendants of Confucius on the Chinese mainland, 100,000 in the Republic of Korea, and many in the United States, Malaysia and Singapore, Xinhua reported.
Every year, scholars and believers around the world commemorate Confucius` birth at his hometown in Qufu on September 28.(SD News)
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| Date:2006-9-26 15:21:50 From:sdnews |
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