Eternal Wisdom

The Peak heads for Beijing to witness the launch of Royal Selangor’s Celestial Wisdom collection.

To say that Confucius was held in some esteem is a profound understatement. Here’s something to ponder when you wandering through the Confucius Temple in Beijing: there are an estimated 3,000 Confucius temples (kongmiao in Chinese) in China alone. And, even though the Beijing kongmiao, built in 1302, more than 1,700 years after the death of Confucius, covers around 20,000 sq m, it is only the second largest of its kind. The one in Confucius’ hometown of Qufu is more than 10 times larger.

In all that time since his death in 473BCE, Confucius’ influence has waxed and waned, but he has never been more ubiquitous, more venerated today — and not only in China but all around the world as well. And it is the many threads of his philosophy that Yong Yoon Li, Executive Director of Royal Selangor International, finds so fascinating: “It’s a story that began more than 2,500 years ago and one that remains relevant to this day.”