Construction on a Confucius Museum recently began in east China's Shandong province, local authorities said Tuesday. It is located in Confucius' hometown, the county-level city of Qufu and is completed in three years.
With an investment of 500 million yuan (about 79.4 million U.S. dollars), the museum will cover an area of 56,135 square meters. A total of 110,000 pieces of cultural relics and 260,000 archived materials about Confucius and his families will be showcased.
Confucius (551-479 BC), an educator and philosopher, founded a school of thought called Confucianism that deeply influenced later generations. He was also the first Chinese person to set up private schools and enroll students from all walks of life.