Peking University, April 13, 2024: A seminar commemorating the 100th anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore's visit to China was held at the Democracy Building of Peking University (PKU) on April 12, 2024. Exactly one century ago on this day, Tagore, the Indian polymath and Nobel laureate, set foot in China. His trip left a lasting legacy that still resonates in literature and cultural exchanges between China and India.

Indian representatives at a statue of Mr. Cai Yuanpei

Prior to the seminar, attendees from renowned Indian institutions took a brief tour of the University's Yan Yuan campus, retracing Tagore's footsteps and stopping by a statue of Mr. Cai Yuanpei, the former president of PKU who invited Tagore to visit China in 1924.

Avijit Banergee

During the seminar, scholars from Indian institutions and Peking University presented insights about Tagore's living heritage. Avijit Banergee, the director of the Department of Chinese Language and Culture (Cheena Bhavana) at Visva-Bharati University, delivered a speech emphasizing the significance of Tagore's visit. He stated that the journey had strengthened the spiritual unity between the people of both countries, fostering friendship and promoting educational cooperation between China and India.

Souraja Tagore at Peking University

Souraja Tagore, a descendant of the Tagore family and a Bharatha-natyam dancer, highlighted the cultural exchanges between two distinct regions in 1924, which, besides political and economic ties, fostered open-mindedness, making Tagore's visit more valuable.

Chen Ming

Chen Ming, the dean of the School of Foreign Languages at PKU, elaborated on the history and tradition of the 1920s, emphasizing the epochal significance of Tagore's visit in a welcome speech.

Zhang Xing

Zhang Xing, an associate professor in South Asian studies at PKU, stressed the importance of establishing Bengali language courses, symbolizing significant progress in the study of Tagore and Indian literature in China. She believed that the cultural heritage of Tagore's visit would continue to resonate with the people of both countries, enriching the current Sino-Indian relationship.

Following the discussion session, Souraja Tagore and Manoj Murali collaborated to interpret Tagore's songs through music and dance, receiving rounds of applause for their spectacular performance rich with ethnic characteristics. A group of Chinese students also recited a poem and sang a song in Bengali. The event concluded with representatives from India and China singing "Eso He Boishakh Eso Eso," a song composed by Tagore.

Over the past 100 years, the shared belief in humanity and the joint construction of Eastern civilization advocated by Tagore have been crucial forces sustaining cultural exchanges between India and China.

One Bengali attendee, currently pursuing a doctoral degree at Peking University, told PKU News that the sparks generated by two different thinking patterns were the most fascinating experience of his campus life.

By retracing Tagore's meaningful journey, scholars from India and China are strengthening academic connections and working towards peace and progress by merging diverse modes of thinking.

Reported and written by: Chen Li Tsai

Video by: People's Daily App