China's Confucian heritages well protected

JINAN -- Both the central and local governments in China attach great importance to the protection of Confucian cultural heritages across the country, according to scholars and experts at a seminar on cultural relics protection.

The seminar was a part of the Nishan Forum on World Civilizations that opened Tuesday in Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius in East China's Shandong province.

Shen Yang, deputy director of the Research Institute of Architecture under Southeast University in China, said so far, nearly 70 percent of Confucian heritages have been opened to the public.

There are more than 1,000 Confucian cultural heritages in China, including 327 temples and 144 academies.

Confucius (551-479 BC), an educator and thinker, has influenced countless generations of Chinese society.