BEIJING (AP) - China’s state-run lottery is offering Confucius-themed tickets with colorful drawings of the ancient philosopher and his proverbs, drawing discussion over whether gambling and his teachings are a good fit.

The Confucius-themed tickets are aimed at educating the public about ancient Chinese culture and helping people live a "healthy, wholesome life," according to the lottery Web site in China’s Shandong province. The site said the Ministry of Finance approved the program launched a week ago in Confucius’ hometown of Qufu and being introduced elsewhere in the northeast province later this month.

On a popular Chinese forum, Tianya.com, anonymous critics of the program saw gambling as against the spirit of Confucius. One cited a Confucian proverb, "The gentleman sees righteousness, the petty man sees profit."

The state-run lottery is the only gambling allowed in China. A Confucius-themed ticket costs 10 yuan ($1.50) and includes quotes from "The Analects," a compilation of the philosopher’s works.

The Shandong lottery site said the grand prize ticket is worth 300,000 yuan ($44,000) and will read, "Of all rituals, harmony is the most valuable."

A state-backed biopic of Confucius released last month starring Hong Kong megastar Chow Yun-fat earned $5.6 million in its opening weekend.