The thinker and his philosophies are as relevant today as they ever were, Chitralekha Basu finds on a visit to his homeplace in Qufu, Shandong province.

Confucius continues to attract and mystify a worldwide audience a good 2,500 years after his aphorisms, compiled in the Analects, were first propagated by his followers. The influence of Confucian wisdom on Chinese thought and lifestyle has been sustained. With 523 Confucius Institutes around the world and 4,359 titles in English on the life and teachings of the great seer on the Amazon database alone, Confucius is one of China's biggest exports to the world. But is Confucius (551-479 BC), who lived in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC) as popular on home turf? To find out, we went to Qufu, Confucius' hometown in Shandong province.

The buzz was palpable on a weekday afternoon, with hundreds of school children in uniform swarming into the majestic Confucius Temple complex and the regal Kong family residence, mingling with a steady flow of tourists. Footfalls have multiplied - from 2.5 million in 2005 to a whopping 4.3 million in 2011, a 10 percent increase, year-on-year.

Stalls on either side of the approach road to Confucius Temple brim with the sage's statuettes, wooden scrolls containing some of his sayings and other souvenirs - including a quaint abridged version of the Analects sporting a red cover, often placed strategically right next to Chairman Mao Zedong's Little Red Book.

But does Qufu really care for the teachings of its most illustrious son?

The answer is a resounding yes, according to Liu Xubing, administrator of the local Confucius Institute. "About 70,000-80,000 young people visit the temple complex in Qufu every year as part of orientation programs. They are exposed to Confucian values, inspired to respect each other, make a greater contribution to society and often get a sense of direction as to how to lead their lives," Liu says.

Some of these young men and women take part in a coming-of-age ritual in their 18th year. "Dressed in Han robes and elaborate headgear, they make a pledge about observing filial piety, being industrious, making a contribution to society and to the country," informs Han Fengju, deputy director of Qufu Cultural Relics and Tourism Bureau. "The graduation ceremony is held to enhance young people's awareness of Confucian culture and pay a tribute to the sage."