Confucius (551-479 BC) was the first Chinese person to set up private schools and enroll students from all walks of life. His disciples collected many of his sayings and quotations and compiled them into a book known in English as the Analects, which continues to have deep influence over Chinese culture and society.

Every September 28 marks the grand sacrificial rite, a celebration of the birthday of Confucius, at the Confucius Temple in Qufu, his hometown. In 2006, the Sacrificial Rite in the Confucius Temple was recognized as a national-level intangible cultural heritage.