JINAN - China's 15 million teachers are to be exempted from paying for tickets to visit the Confucius temple, family mansion and cemetery, according to Qufu city in East China's Shandong province.

Kong Deping, head of Qufu bureau of cultural heritage, said that a draft proposal had been made to stop charging teachers from next year. To save the 150 yuan (about 25 US dollars), teachers will be required to verify their occupation.

"Confucius, who started China's first private school 2,000 year ago, should be revered by all contemporary teachers," said Li Changsheng, the city's Party secretary.

"Teachers will welcome the new policy and bring more of their families and students to visit," said Kong Weifeng, a teacher at Qufu Experimental Primary School and a 78th-generation descendant of Confucius. All of the descendants bear the family name "Kong".

Four million people visit the site every year.