JINAN, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Visitors to the 2008
Beijing Olympic Games may be greeted by quotes of ancient Chinese sage Confucius
if a proposal from his hometown is adopted by the Beijing organizer.
Confucian organizations in Shandong Province in east
China is proposing five well-known remarks of the Chinese philosopher, selected
by more than 40,000 netizens over the past three months from Analects, to the
Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG).
Analects is believed to be a composition of the late
Spring and Autumn Period. It collects maxims and short discussions between
Confucius and his disciples.
Shandong's deputy governor Huang Sheng submitted a
list of the quotes to BOCOG officials at the World Confucian Conference, which
kicked off Friday in Qufu city -- hometown of Confucius, saying the remarks that
have influenced China and the world for centuries will fully reflect Chinese
people's hospitality to upcoming athletes and guests.
The quotes include "When a friend comes from afar, is
that not delightful?", "All men are brothers", "Do to others as you would be
done by", "Virtue is not left to stand alone. He who practises it will have
neighbors", and "In carrying our rites, it is harmony that is prized."
The official English version is yet to be determined
if the quotes are approved.
The Organizing Committee of the World Confucian
Conference, the International Confucian Association, and some Chinese websites
jointly launched a campaign in July, inviting people to select five quotes that
best demonstrate Confucian thoughts from 20 remarks recommended by ten
confucianism experts.
Confucius, born in 551 BC, was a great philosopher
whose thought held sway as orthodox ideology in China for some 2,000 years.
Confucianism offers references for solution to many
complicated social problems, and many of Confucius' notions have been recognized
as "dictum" by peoples around the world.