Confucius (551-479 BC) lived in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), and is known as the first Chinese to set up private schools. He believed that all human beings, regardless of their social status, could benefit from lifelong learning.

Dubbed "Home of Southern Confucianism", Quzhou is the second-largest center for the descendants of Confucius. When Kaifeng, capital of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), was conquered by the military of the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234), Emperor Gaozong retreated to the south. The eldest member of Confucius' descendants in the 48th generation, Kong Duanyou, also moved to the south and settled in Quzhou, thus giving rise to the southern branch of the family.