In 1998, the Quzhou government invested 18 million yuan ($2.55 million) to repair the temple and, in 2004, the city resumed marking the birthday of Confucius. Since 2009, directors of Confucius Institutes abroad have been invited to attend the ceremony.

In recent years, the temple has remained open to the public, albeit with stringent pandemic control measures in place.

"We have continuously received visitors, including descendants and enthusiasts," says Wang Zhaocheng, who is in charge of the development of the temple culture and tourism zone.

"Every month we have welcomed visitors that hail from all over the world."

Local authorities found that many international visitors have shown great interest in the southern Confucius temple and they share their experiences on social media.

"We have come to realize that tourism provides wings to culture, and culture is the soul of tourism," Wang says.

"The temple is not only the most important culture and tourism resource of Quzhou, but also a calling card, and a window that effectively frames the distinctive characteristics of China," Wang says.

At the moment, the local authorities are working to upgrade the temple culture and tourism zone into a national 5A-ranked destination, the highest rating level.

"We believe it will further enhance the role of the temple as a bridge for cultural inheritance and exchanges," Wang says.