Source: People's Daily Online

http://english.people.com.cn/200609/29/eng20060929_307383.html

On September 29, 2006 the People's Daily Online reported, "Grand ceremonies were held on both the Chinese mainland and Taiwan on Thursday, the 2,557th birthday of Confucius, to commemorate the great ancient Chinese thinker and philosopher revered around the world. Amid peaceful music and incense smoke, 2,557 people filed into the Confucian temple in Qufu of east China's Shandong province, hometown of Confucius, shortly after a brief gate opening ceremony at 9:00 a.m. Descendants of Confucius from the Chinese mainland, Taiwan and other parts of the world, Qufu mayor Jiang Cheng, government officials and worshippers of Confucius were in the procession, with young men in ancient costumes standing on each side of the red-carpet path in welcoming poses... Toward the end of the ceremony, 80 college students attended a ceremony marking the attainment of adulthood; 100 primary school students read out teachings from the Analects of Confucius and 100 'Confucius-style businessmen' read out commitments to do business in an honest way."