People walk to attend a memorial ceremony for the Chinese philosopher Confucius in Qufu, east China's Shandong Province, April 5, 2019, on the occasion of China's traditional Tomb-Sweeping Day. More than 400 descendants of Confucius from across China and from the Republic of Korea (ROK) attended the event in the Confucius Cemetery, the world's largest family cemetery with over 100,000 tombs. Confucius (551-479 B.C.) was an educator and philosopher who founded Confucianism, a school of thought deeply influential in later generations. (Xinhua/Wang Nan)

JINAN, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The descendants of Chinese philosopher Confucius on Friday held a memorial ceremony for their ancestor, with the entire process live broadcast by Chinese media.

This was the first time video cameras of media outlets were allowed in the annual family ceremony held in the city of Qufu, east China's Shandong Province. Friday coincided with China's traditional Tomb-Sweeping Day, also known as Qingming Festival.

More than 400 descendants of Confucius from across China and from the Republic of Korea (ROK) attended the event in the Confucius Cemetery, the world's largest family cemetery with over 100,000 tombs.

This year marks the 2,570th anniversary of Confucius' birth, which will be celebrated in autumn.

Confucius (551-479 B.C.) was an educator and philosopher who founded Confucianism, a school of thought deeply influential in later generations. He was also believed to have set up the first private schools in China to enrol students from different social classes.