A painting shows the scene of Kongzi teaching his students. [File photo]

We all know of China's long history. It's a history that dates back as early as 1200 BC. A major part of China's history is its education through teachers.

School education in China has a long history. In the spring and autumn periods (770BC - 476BC), private schools prevailed. Many scholars of different schools of thought began spreading their knowledge through various ways of teaching.

Kongzi, or Confucius, the great educator, devoted his life to the private school system. He would go on to hold a legacy as one of the great educators in China. Not only him, but all teachers in China were highly respected by society.

Today we honor teachers by dedicating a special day for them. For the past 31 years, Sept 10 is Teachers' Day in China. It's a day for people to show their respect and gratitude to teachers for their hard work and contributions to society.

The following lists four things you should know about teachers in ancient China.