China plans to spend 4.2 billion US dollars on building a culturally symbolic city in the eastern province Shandong, home to ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius, hoping to revive traditional cultural values including Confucianism.

Jiang Daming, governor of Shandong, announced at a news conference on Saturday in Beijing that the "Chinese Culturally Symbolic City" will be built in the Jiulong Mountain range between the two cities of Qufu and Zoucheng, ancestral homes of Confucius and Mencius.

Confucius

Mencius

The construction project includes refurbishing the ancestral homes of the two ancient philosophers and new buildings in the Jiulong mountain range, Jiang said.

The project planning and construction commission, chaired by top Shandong officials, will solicit ideas on designs from the public starting this Saturday and running through September 1 this year.