This year marks the 2560th birthday of the great thinker Confucius, and in tribute to the founder of China's intellectual tradition, a festival is being held in Beijing to celebrate the man and his legacy.

The festival opened on Sunday at the Confucius Temple of the Imperial National Academy in central Beijing. There will be a series of performances, exhibitions, and lectures, in an effort to present the essence and contemporary relevance of Confucian thought. According to record, Confucius was born on the 27th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar in 551 BC. That's September 28th on the solar calendar.

Traditionally, Chinese people hold spectacular memorial services for Confucius every year on the date of his birth. His philosophy has deeply influenced Chinese culture as well as the cultures of some other eastern Asian countries, for centuries. In recent years, the works of Confucius have become the focus of renewed and intensive study, from East to West.