September 28 marks the 2,577th anniversary of the birth of Confucius. The 2026 Nishan Forum on World Civilizations opened on the same day in Qufu, the philosopher's hometown in east China's Shandong Province.

Visitors to the forum's gift shop can find this set of figurines representing the Six Arts traditionally expected of a cultivated gentleman in ancient China: rites, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy and mathematics. Their appearance draws on familiar artistic depictions of the sage, as no portrait made during his lifetime is known to survive.

Confucius figurines on display at the gift shop of the 2026 Nishan Forum on World Civilizations in Qufu, Shandong Province, September 28, 2026. /CGTN

The figurines offer a playful reminder of a lasting educational legacy. Confucius championed education regardless of social background, challenging the idea that learning should be reserved for the aristocracy. Tradition holds that he taught about 3,000 disciples. He also travelled among the states of ancient China, urging rulers to embrace benevolent government, with limited success during his lifetime.

His influence on education proved far more enduring. Revered as the "Great Sage and First Teacher," Confucius inspired a tradition of learning that shaped Chinese society for centuries. Confucian classics formed the core of the traditional curriculum for more than a millennium.