SERIOUS READING: Children readThe Analects of Confuciusat a guoxue class in Shandong Museum on February 3 (ZHU ZHENG)

Dressed in clothing in the style of the Han Dynasty that ruled China 1,800 years ago, a group of students bow to a statue of Confucius and their teacher, who takes the tip of his brush to a scroll to signify the beginning of primary education for these children.

The ceremony, called the First Writing Ceremony, or the Enlightenment Ceremony, was an important ritual in the admission of children into their school that lasted for millennia in China. Now a growing number of schools have picked up this old tradition.

"It was one of the four most important ceremonies for people in ancient times," said Meng Fanjia, the founder of Beijing's Liangyou School, which hopes to promote guoxue, or national studies. "The ceremony signals to the children that their life of learning has started and that it will be a lifelong process."

Liugeng School in Shawan Town of Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, has held the ceremony for 14 years in a row. "We were among the first across the whole country to start holding the ceremony again and it proves to be effective, in both encouraging kids to learn and in cultivating the right attitude toward their studies."

In a world obsessed with piano, mathematics competitions and English learning, education in China has begun to worry scholars, some of whom have chosen to turn to guoxue for a solution.

Turn to the past

Guoxue usually refers to any field of scholarship that is traditional and native to China, including Confucianism, Taoism, calligraphy, ancient literature, medicine and arts.

"Anything that has withstood the test of centuries and has been passed down, as long as it has a positive effect in our society, that can be called guoxue," said Ji Jiezheng, the head of Chengxian Guoxue Institute. Affiliated with the Beijing Confucius Temple and Imperial College Museum, the institute, founded in 2004, enlightens the young through introductory courses on Confucianism, calligraphy, painting and handcrafts. Chengxian means "to become a virtuous person," which is a core tenet of Confucian beliefs.

"The ideal life in traditional Chinese culture is to first cultivate the moral self, regulate one's family, then go on to attend state affairs, and finally bring world peace," Ji said, quoting Great Learning, a Confucian classic. "No matter what career the kids pursue in the future, they first have to learn how to be a moral person."

The institute puts Di Zi Gui, or Standards for Being a Good Pupil and Child, at the center of its teaching and philosophy. Di Zi Gui is a 1,000-word list of rules and suggestions written by scholar Li Yuxiu during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It is based on his personal experience of teaching Confucianism to young children. In it a good child is held up as a respectful, moral and harmonious member of a family and community. As one excerpt reads:

"Elder siblings should take care of the young, and the young should respect their elder siblings ... don't take wealth too seriously, and you will be free from resentment; be tolerant in your words, and conflict will dissolve naturally."

Before Meng decided to open Liangyou School, he had been involved in many businesses, including interior design, IT business, opening bars and cafes. He earned a lot of money but eventually ended up bankrupt. His wife divorced him and took away their child. "Those were the darkest days in my life and I couldn't find a way out," said Meng, who tried to read ancient classics to help relieve his pains.