In the Year of Bingwu, during Qingming, gentle breezes bring renewal and all things thrive. To promote fine traditional Chinese culture and carry forward a millennium of cultural heritage, Guanzhong Academy held a Qingming Confucius Memorial Ceremony on April 5, 2026. Experts, scholars, members of the public, and young students gathered at the ancient academy—founded in the 37th year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty (1609)—to pay tribute to the Supreme Sage Confucius and successive Confucian sages, advocating respect for teachers and education, and a new ethos of ritual and music.
The ceremony opened with deep, solemn drumbeats. After three drum rolls, Kang Hui, Dean of Guanzhong Academy, led all participants in standing reverently before the statue of Confucius. As the master of ceremonies called for"ritual musicians to take their positions,"bells and drums resounded, marking the official start of the ceremony. Accompanied by elegant ancient music, traditional rituals including the First Offering, Second Offering, Final Offering, and Receiving Blessings and Sacrificial Meat were performed in sequence.
The core ritual of the ceremony was the Three Offerings. Following ancient Confucian memorial rites, the First Offering was conducted first: the chief officiant washed his hands, led the group in presenting silk and wine vessels, and Kang Hui read a eulogy honoring Confucius'enduring contributions, affirming the academy's resolve to uphold Confucian traditions and promote Confucianism today. The Second Offering followed, with officials presenting wine vessels before Confucius'statue as a mark of respect. Upon completion of the Final Offering, the threefold ritual was concluded.
After honoring Confucius, the chief officiant led the group to pay homage to successive Confucian sages—Yan Hui (the Sage of Recovery), Zeng Shen (the Sage of Filial Piety), Zisi (the Sage of Continuity), and Mencius (the Second Sage)—performing rites of bowing and offering wine vessels to express reverence for their preservation and promotion of Confucian teachings.
The ceremony also specially honored Feng Congwu, founder of Guanzhong Academy and a great scholar of Guanxue (Guanzhong School of Thought) in the Ming Dynasty. Feng founded the academy in 1609 and dedicated his life to spreading the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, as well as the Guanxue philosophy of Zhang Zai. Advocating"learning to be a good person, observing ritual and valuing virtue,"he left a profound academic and spiritual legacy. The chief officiant paid tribute at his memorial tablet, read an elegy, and praised his integrity in upholding tradition and promoting orthodox learning.
As the highest seat of learning in Shaanxi during the Ming and Qing dynasties and the foremost academy in northwest China, Guanzhong Academy has preserved its cultural lineage for over 400 years, embodying the Guanxue spirit:"To ordain conscience for Heaven and Earth, to secure life and fortune for the people, to continue lost teachings for past sages, and to establish everlasting peace for all generations."This Confucius memorial ceremony is both a tribute to ancient sages and a concrete practice by Guanzhong Academy to inherit Chinese cultural heritage and advance the creative transformation and innovative development of traditional culture.
