The world's first Lao Tze Academy will be established in Canada, authorities have announced.

Teachers at the academy will use Tao Te Ching, the universal Taoist text book written by Lao Tze more than 2,000 years ago, as the main teaching material, said Zhou Fan, president of Guangdong Langdun Group, investor of the project.

The academy, to be built in the Greater Toronto Area, will help further spread the Chinese culture and allow the world to understand China in a better way, Zhou told a press conference on Tuesday.

"We will pump 200 million yuan ($32.02 million) in building the academy as well as a Lao Tze Garden there, which will cover an area of 455 mu (0.3 square km)," Zhou said.

Lao Tze (BC 571-471) is believed to be the founder of Taoism and the author of Tao Te Ching, which details topics ranging from political advice to practical wisdom.

We recommend:

Culture insider: 10 must-see museums around the world	Top 10 popular Chinese TV dramas overseas	500-year-old Mu Residence - a miniature Forbidden City in SW China