China Briefing | Xi Jinping endorses the promotion of Confucius
President personally endorses the role of the sage - once vilified by the Communist Party - in helping realign the nation's moral compass
In January, 2011, a 9.5 metre bronze statue of the Chinese sage Confucius was unveiled at the north gate of the newly renovated National Museum, just off Tiananmen Square, not far from the portrait of Mao Zedong over the entrance to the Forbidden City.
At the time it caused a stir at home and abroad for its political and cultural implications, putting the ancient philosopher in the same league as Mao, Karl Marx and Sun Yat-sen whose portraits are displayed on the square on important occasions.
Barely three months later, however, the statue was quietly removed without explanation. But it left a trail of speculation as an intense power struggle was under way in the run-up to the sweeping Communist Party leadership reshuffle in late 2012.
Now the statue stands a good chance of returning to the limelight, if not its original location, after President Xi Jinping last week hailed Confucianism in a keynote speech at an international symposium in Beijing to commemorate the 2,565th anniversary of his birth.
"Confucianism, along with other philosophies and cultures taking shape and growing within China, are records of spiritual experiences, rational thinking and cultural achievements of the nation while it strived to build its identity," Xinhua quoted Xi as saying.
"These cultures have nourished the flourishing Chinese nation."