BEIJING, May 7 (UPI) -- Chairman Mao Zedong's Communism may have helped bury Confucianism in China, but the sage's teachings are back in fashion there, thanks to a best-seller.
Professor Yu Dan's book, "Insights on the Analects of Confucius," has become a huge hit, if only because modern China -- caught in its phenomenal economic growth -- is able to find spiritual fulfillment in Yu's book on the philosopher's message of filial piety and moral righteousness.
"In the 21st century, our value system is changing; people are faced with a lot of confusion and choices," the 42-year-old Beijing Normal University professor told The Los Angeles Times. "The classics are not just fossils. They are a value system that can help us find answers to modern-day problems."
"Her success has a lot to do with the fact that modern China has an identity crisis and spiritual crisis," Hong Huang, a cultural commentator, told the newspaper.
Even Chinese President Hu Jintao is advocating a "harmonious society," based on the Confucian values of unity, morality and respect for authority.
The appeal of Yu's book is that it has made Confucius' collected teachings easier to understand. Her book has sold more than 3 million copies in four months, a Chinese publishing record.
