(Minghui.org) The teachings of Confucius, one of the most important figures in Chinese history, have comprised China’s leading doctrine since the Han Dynasty. In particular, his contributions to education, culture, and society in general are indispensable to traditional Chinese culture. Confucius was born in Qufu, which is located in today’s Shandong Province, so I feel proud of living in his hometown.

However, this 2,000-year-long tradition came to a sudden halt after the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) seized power in 1949. Following several earlier political campaigns, the CCP launched the Cultural Revolution 60 years ago, in May 1966. In November of that year, Red Guards traveled from Beijing to Qufu and demolished the Temple of Confucius, the Mansion of Confucius, and the Cemetery of Confucius—collectively known as the Three Confucius Sites—a priceless national heritage. Furthermore, from 1973 until his own death in 1976, Mao Zedong perpetuated a massive campaign against Confucius.

Although the CCP later backed off on the destruction of China’s national patrimony, it has continued to use its so-called Confucius Institutes as a venue to promote communist ideology abroad, and the totalitarian regime’s essence remains the same. For example, there is only one Cultural Revolution Museum in China that serves to reflect upon a period of history that killed tens of millions of people. It is located in Guangdong Province and was closed in 2016. In contrast, there are hundreds of Holocaust museums around the world, each echoing the message “Never Again.”

The lessons of the CCP remain unlearned in China and the tragedies continue—from the Tiananmen Square Massacre in 1989 to the ongoing 27-year persecution of Falun Gong. As a meditation system guided by the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, Falun Gong’s teachings are deeply rooted in traditional Chinese culture. Its miraculous benefits on mind and body have drawn about 100 million practitioners worldwide.

Under the CCP, Falun Gong practitioners have faced a similar fate as Confucius. Since July 1999, the regime has brutally suppressed and demonized the practice. Two months after the persecution began, Ms. Zhao Jinhua, a 42-year-old farmer from Zhaoyuan City in Shandong Province, was arrested in late September and badly beaten for her faith in the practice that taught Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. She died 10 days later, becoming the first practitioner to die in police custody.

This is yet another testimony to the CCP’s brutality against what is good. And the atrocities persist today. A recent Minghui report indicates that 404 practitioners were arrested in January and February of 2026, and that 392 incidents of harassment occurred during those two months. Among these cases, the numbers in Shandong Provinces are astonishingly higher: 205 arrests and 131 harassment incidents—despite Shandong Province representing only about 7% of China’s population.

Confucius once said, “One should govern people with virtue; people will then gather as if surrounding the North Star.” This also explains why the CCP could not tolerate Confucius during the Cultural Revolution, as the regime has always suppressed upstanding exemplars by unleashing brutality and lies.

In a noteworthy development, since the publication of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party in 2004, over 450 million people have renounced their membership in the CCP and its affiliated youth organizations. As awareness of the CCP’s damage to society’s moral foundation spreads, the regime’s ruthless rule will ultimately come to an end.