Confucius, the founder of Confucianism, was born in the late Spring and Autumn Period. He was an educator, philosopher and politician. Coming of age in a period of conflict and social turmoil resulting from the rivalry for hegemony among competing dukes following the decline of the Zhou Dynasty, Confucius embraced humanity as a fundamental value and developed a school of thought enveloping politics, social ethics and personal morality centred around the core concepts of “benevolence” (ren) and “ritual” (li) and aspiring for the ultimate ideal of Great Harmony. As an educator, he put into practice his beliefs in such concepts as the importance of “teaching all students regardless of their backgrounds”, “never tiring of learning”, “never wearying of teaching others” and “teaching students according to their aptitudes”. He also promoted access to education for all civilians. For thousands of years, Confucius has been honoured as the Grand Master of All Ages, and Confucianism has become the central pillar of Chinese culture.

The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) is a major base of school teacher education in Hong Kong. The Institute’s Hong Kong Museum of Education (HKME) specialises in educational themes. In presenting Confucius as the Grand Master of All Ages,  HKME endeavours to start here and now to discover Confucius as he exists among us in our everyday lives, to go back to the origin to encounter Confucius in his own time and provide glimpses of Confucianism across its 2,500 years of progression and development. The exhibition culminates in reflection upon the challenges and opportunities brought by the age of globalisation and digitisation and what it means for traditional culture in the 21st century.

Confucius said, “I set my heart on the Way, base myself on virtue, lean upon benevolence for support, take my recreation in the arts”. Modern museums are grounded in research and aim to go beyond acquisition and preservation. It is our wish to make a humble contribution to cultural dissemination through this exhibition and its associated activities. Targeted at students and teachers, the exhibition contains elements of edutainment, and offers interactive experiences, educational activities and guided tours. We hope that visitors of all ages will enjoy an exhibition integrating animation, comics and games, and in the process become re-acquainted with Confucius.

Presented by:
The Education University of Hong Kong

Organised by:
Hong Kong Museum of Education

Co-presented by:
Shangdong Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau

Supported by:
Qufu Cultural Relics Bureau
National University Technology (Creative) Park of China Academy of Art
Cai Zhizhong Cultural Gallery