The items include documents from several dynasties, annotations on the Analects, bamboo slips bearing texts and a long scroll handwritten by a 12-year-old child during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). They have been assembled from museums and libraries across the country, including the National Library of China, the Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage, the Gansu Bamboo Slips Museum, the Turfan Museum and the Confucius Museum.

"Almost every Chinese person knows Confucius and can recite some of his teachings. But after thousands of years, do we really know the man and his teachings? We hope to bring visitors closer to him," said the Confucius Museum's Tang Li, who planned and organized the exhibition.

For example, teachings advocated by Confucius and known to most Chinese, such as the sage's version of the Golden Rule ("Do not do unto others what you do not want done to yourself") are written on both sides of the exhibition entrance.

"Teachings that are familiar to most visitors will help trigger their interest in finding out more about Confucius," Tang said.