The Confucianism approach of "governing with virtues" is influencing governance in today's China.
In Zoucheng City in east China's Shandong Province, the birthplace of Confucian scholar Mencius, a group of officials are visiting the Temple of Mencius. A stone monument attracts their attention. On the monument is an inscription telling the story of when Mencius' mother cut off a piece of cloth she was weaving to show her son, who had skipped school, how important perseverance was to learning.
Zhang Hui, from the city's cultural relics bureau, explains to the officials that, "family education is no trivial matter. Some cadres have neglected to educate their family, so their relatives have become embroiled in corruption."
The class is part of a program initiated by the Communist Party School of Jining in 2014. The program combines classroom activities and field trips to sites related to Confucius and Mencius, to improve officials' governing ability through Chinese culture. It is believed that both thinkers were born in Jining.
"Confucian teachings spanning personal growth and management to economics and team leadership are invaluable tools for officials. Jining is using its history to establish itself as a center for the education of cadres," said Ma Pingchang, secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Jining committee.
Li Jingxue, an official with the Party School, explained, "We have published a series of books, covering the interpretation of Confucian beliefs, President Xi Jinping's speeches and lectures on traditional culture and political morality."
Last year, more than 30 sessions of the program were organized, attracting officials from over 10 provinces and regions.
Yao Jian, an official with Zoucheng economic and information technology bureau, said the program was inspiring. "Confucian teachings on 'benevolent government' and 'people-oriented governance' are still relevant today."
MODERN SIGNIFICANCE
For thousands of years, Confucianism has guided government and personal morality in China. Values emphasized by Confucianism such as virtue, people-oriented governance and self-discipline are still center stage in Chinese politics today.
Xi frequently uses Confucian quotes and other classic Chinese literature to illustrate his approach to governance.
In "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China"(2014) , which includes many of the president's speeches, informal talks and addresses, the president uses many Confucian sayings.
