Graded Readers for Chinese Language Learners (Level 3) 9: The Story of Confucius
 
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.