The Committee of the Confucius Ceremony in Northern California held a handover ceremony for the 45th annual event and the first preparatory meeting on the evening of March 3rd at the South Bay Overseas Chinese Education Center. The 44th convener, Shih Guangting, officially stepped down, passing the torch to the new convener, Yi Rong, for the 45th event.
The Confucius Ceremony in Northern California has a long history, founded by fellow Qilu people in 1981 as the “San Francisco Bay Area Qilu Association.” In 1982, the first Confucius Ceremony in Northern California was held, making it the earliest region where overseas Chinese held such a solemn tribute to Confucius. Over the years, the event has been jointly organized by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, the South Bay Overseas Chinese Education Center, the San Francisco Qilu Association Board, and the Northern California Chinese School Association, dedicated to inheriting traditional Chinese culture and Confucian values.
The handover ceremony that evening was presided over by Zhu Yongchang. Retiring convener Shih Guangting expressed gratitude for the strong support from the committee and colleagues during his tenure.
Despite facing challenges such as finances and manpower during the preparation process, with the collective efforts of everyone involved, all activities were successfully completed, and the overall operation achieved its goals. He gave a detailed report on the financial situation of this year, mainly used for venue rental, insurance, cleaning fees, annual publication printing, and expenses related to the Confucius ceremony. In the end, there was still a surplus of about thousands of dollars, demonstrating sound financial management.
Deputy Director Zhu Yongchang of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office expressed that the Confucius Ceremony in Northern California, with over 40 years of history, is a significant cultural event in the Bay Area. Every year, it mobilizes numerous volunteers, schools, and associations, attracting figures from the political and educational sectors to participate. This event is not only about the inheritance of Chinese culture but also an important platform for communication with mainstream society.
Deputy Director Cai Jiahua of the South Bay Overseas Chinese Education Center emphasized that the Confucius Ceremony is not only a significant cultural event in the overseas Chinese community but also a crucial window to showcase Taiwan’s traditional ceremonial and musical culture to mainstream society. She hopes the new convener will continue to develop on the existing foundation, attracting more younger generations to participate, ensuring the continuous inheritance and promotion of Chinese culture overseas.
Yi Rong, the newly appointed convener, thanked retiring convener Shih for his hard work over the past year, leading the team to successfully complete the activities in the face of challenges, setting a good example for future generations.
She stated that she will uphold this spirit in the future to continue promoting the development of the Confucius Ceremony, hoping to attract more young people to participate and perpetuate the spirit of Confucius and traditional Chinese ceremonial and musical culture in Northern California.
Regarding cultural inheritance, Yi Rong expressed to the media that currently, through the study of Confucian classics at Chinese schools, children are exposed to traditional culture from a young age. She also plans to encourage middle and high school students to participate in related activities, gradually involving the second and third generations in the preparation and inheritance of the Confucius Ceremony. In the future, she will also enhance external promotion, utilizing platforms like Facebook and other social media to allow more people in mainstream society to understand the culture of the Confucius Ceremony.
She also shared the background of her taking on this role. Former convener Mou Shanzhu led the Qilu Association Board to visit her specifically, hoping she would take on the responsibility. At that time, her father in his nineties agreed on her behalf, leading her to ultimately accept this mission.
Yi Rong mentioned that even though her father has passed away, she still hopes to fulfill her promise and continue the inheritance of Confucius culture. “If no one takes on this responsibility, we cannot pass this culture on to the next generation.”