First writing ceremony held in Xi'an

A new first-grader gets a red dot on her forehead (which is called opening the wisdom eye) during a first writing ceremony near Hancheng Lake in Xi'an, Feb 20, 2016. [Photo/CFP]

An ancient-style "first writing ceremony" is held in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi province on Feb 20, 2016. Dozens of children from Xi'an attended the event to experience the traditional Chinese culture.

First writing ceremony, also called "kaibi ceremony", is one of the most important events for students in ancient China. At the beginning of school sessions, parents would take their children to attend the First Writing Ceremony. Teachers would put a red dot on the students' forehead as it represents the opening of the wisdom eye since the words "red dot" are pronounced the same as "wisdom" in Chinese. Then, teachers would give lectures on basic principles of behavior. Next, Children kowtow to Confucius and their teachers. It means that from this moment, they are ready to take a step on the lifelong pursuit of knowledge.