JINAN -- A ceremony was held in eastern China's Shandong Province Friday to celebrate the 2,569th birthday of Confucius, an ancient Chinese educator and philosopher.

The ceremony, held in the city of Qufu, Confucius' hometown, attracted government officials, UNESCO officials, scholars, students and descendants of Confucius.

More than 1,400 students and residents recited classic quotes from Lunyu, or the Analects, a collection of ideas and sayings from the Chinese philosopher, while ceremonial dancing was performed at the Confucius Temple.

"The dancing performance, in commemoration of Confucius, explains Li, or rites, in Confucianism," said Kong Xiangsheng, a 75th-generation descendant of Confucius.

In the city of Quzhou in East China's Zhejiang Province, representatives from Confucius institutes in 10 countries attended a ceremony at Nanzong Confucius Temple, one of the Confucius family temples.

Preetema Atmekoemarie, director of the Confucius Institute at the Anton de Kom University of Suriname, said she has always been fascinated by the wisdom of the ancient Chinese thinker.