Confucius was honored as a “sage” by the emperors of all ages starting the Han Dynasty. Although he was born into a poor family, he studied hard on his own and became the most famous thinker and educator in ancient China.

 Confucius lived in an era of social unrest. He run a school and told students that the purpose of learning is not only to acquire knowledge, but also to improve the realm of life and to make himself a gentleman.

 

Now we can understand Confucius's thoughts through the book, The Analects of Confucius. It was written by Confucius’ disciples and his disciples’ disciples, and records the words and deeds of Confucius and many of his students.

 Confucius is the representative of traditional Chinese culture, and his thoughts have had a profound impact on later generations.

Chen Xianchun is a professor at Beijing Language and Culture University who has engaged in the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language since 1975, equipped with rich Chinese teaching experience. Professor Chen has made profound research into the teaching of Chinese reading and has published, in addition to more than 20 academic papers, many monographs and textbooks such as Teaching Reading and Psychology, Typical Characters and Events in Chinese Culture, A Primer on Modern Chinese Reading, An Intensive Chinese Course, and Read This Way.

Foreign learners of Chinese; children of Chinese living in countries other than China; students of minority groups studying Chinese in China, and Chinese primary school students.