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Cultural activities at the Guiyang Confucius Institute appeal to visitors from home and abroad.

Scholars, locals laud the new Guiyang Confucius Insitutue

Guiyang, the capital city of southwest China's Guizhou province, now views its Confucius Institute as the key to expanding the region's cultural influence, said local officials.

Jiang Xingheng, director of the administrative office at the Guiyang Confucius Institute, said the purpose of building such a cultural destination is to help the public learn more about China's traditional cultures.

"Different from the Confucius temples in provinces such as Shandong that are mainly for worship and sacrifices, the Guiyang Confucius Institute focuses on cultural communication and dissemination," Jiang said.

Last year, the Guiyang institute held 108 public forums on Confucianism that attracted more than 40,000 visitors and experts from home and abroad.

It now aims to deepen its ties with top universities and scholars nationwide.

Jiang said the local authorities plan to build a research facility in the institute this year that will play an important role in attracting domestic and foreign scholars to study Sinology.

"At that time, the Confucius Institute will be a name card for Guizhou's prospering culture."

Built in 2007, the institute officially opened to the public last year.