Grand ceremony commemorating Mencius

A ceremony honouring one of China's earliest teachers - the philosopher Mencius - and his mother was held Wednesday in the philosopher's birth place. At the site - in east China's Shandong Province - descendants of Mencius joined hundreds of other spectators.

A ceremony honouring one of China's earliest teachers - the  philosopher Mencius - and his mother was held Wednesday in  the philosopher's birth place. (Photo: CCTV.com)

The solemn observance began with the sounding of bells and drums. Mencius' descendants paid homage to their ancestor and dedicated flowers. A hundred children read Mencius' works in chorus.

Mencius was a Chinese philosopher of the fourth century B.C and he made a major contribution to humanism of Confucian thought. Mencius'mother also enjoys worldwide reputation. She once moved the family home three times to find a location near a school for her son.