On April 12, 1924, Rabindranath Tagore, the renowned Indian poet, writer, philosopher, and social reformer, arrived in Shanghai, marking the commencement of his visit across China, which lasted over 50 days. A century has passed since the journey. In commemoration of this historical event, an Indian delegation, comprising six scholars and artists, paid a visit to Shanghai from April 14 to 16, 2024 on a mission to “Retrace the Footsteps of Tagore”.
On April 15, 2024, Fu Jihong, Vice President of the Shanghai People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (SPAFFC), met with the visiting delegation. He acknowledged that Tagore, a cherished friend to the Chinese people, had commenced and concluded all his three visits to China in Shanghai, thereby etching an enduring mark upon the city’s cultural landscape and establishing an inseparable bond. Shanghai also bore witness to Tagore’s profound affection and support for China, the vibrant exchanges between the two ancient civilizations, and the deep-seated friendship between the peoples of China and India.
During their stay in Shanghai, the Indian delegation engaged in the cultural exchanges at the Shanghai Municipal Archives and Shanghai Jinyuan Senior High School. They also paid homage to the places of profound importance to Tagore’s past visits and stays in the city, such as the Huishan Wharf Site and Siming Villa. At the intersection of Nanchang Road and Maoming Road, they paid their respects to the statue of Tagore. Furthermore, the delegation participated in the event held at Tongji University, commemorating the “Centenary of Tagore’s Visit to China”. The interactions were marked by numerous heartfelt moments and touching scenes between both old friends and new acquaintances.
A “Dialogue” Crossing Space and a Century to
“Retrace” the Footsteps of Tagore
Standing quietly within the street center garden at the intersection of Nanchang Road and Maoming South Road in Shanghai is a half-body bronze statue of Tagore. With a gesture of deep respect, Souraja Tagore, approached the statue. She removed her shoes and pressed hands together in a traditional Indian manner to show respect and prayer. Bending low, she paid tribute to the likeness of her ancestor before placing a bouquet of wild chrysanthemums, jasmine, purple lilies and peonies at the statue’s base. As one of the Tagore family descendents, Souraja grew up surrounded by poetry. “The flowers I have just offered have all found their place within his verse,” she shared. “In this moment, I feel closer to him.”
For music artist Manoj Murali Nair, it was the first time to come to China and stroll along the streets of Shanghai. In the presence of the Tagore’s statue, he found a moment of inspiration. After taking a seat on a nearby stool, Nair began to hum a melody in the sunlight. When coming out of the dance classroom at Shanghai Jinyuan Senior High School, he was drawn to a piano and sat down naturally to play a piece of music inspired by the breeze. “The interplay of sunshine, breeze, and the rustling of the tree leaves here stirs a deep longing within me for the beauty of nature,” Nair reflected. “In these moments, I feel as though I am resonating with the soul of Tagore across the span of a century.”
Upon setting foot on China’s soil a hundred years ago, Tagore said, “I don’t know why, but coming to China is like coming home.” Upon leaving China, he said quite sadly, “My heart stays.” Tagore visited Shanghai on three occasions throughout in his life. Upon his arrival, the passenger liner he boarded would dock at the Huishan Wharf in Hongkou. While in Shanghai, he resided at Siming Villa. The delegates of the Indian delegation also followed the poet’s footsteps to both the Huishan Wharf site and Siming Villa this time and found themselves reflecting on the springtime events of a century ago.
“I am deeply moved to see how well Shanghai has preserved the commemorative sites related to Tagore. The city was an important destination during his stay in China, and our hearts now also stay here,” said Avigit Banerjee, Director of Cheena Bhavana of Visva-Bharati University. Avigit Banerjee has visited Shanghai three times. In almost every visit, he would “retrace” the footsteps of Tagore.
“If we look back at the exchanges over thousands of years between our two ancient civilizations, Tagore certainly has practical significance.” According to Banerjee, after returning to India, Tagore was committed to the establishment of a Chinese studies institution or Cheena Bhavana at Visva-Bharati University.
With the efforts of Tagore and Tan Yunshan, who was the first director, Cheena Bhavana was founded in 1937. Over the years, it has trained a large number of envoys for friendly exchanges between China and India. In 1939, Xu Beihong gave lectures at Cheena Bhavana and held a personal art exhibition with the support of Tagore. Cheena Bhavana at Visva-Bharati University received the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence Friendship Award in 2014.
Young Hearts will Stay in China
Young Hearts will Stay in India
“Can you see the wind?” In the eyes of dancer Souraja Tagore, the wind is the crossed and wrapped hands, continuously shrugged shoulders, and smiling faces that look up and sideways. In the dance classroom of Shanghai Jinyuan Senior High School, she, in bare feet, showed a dance created after Tagore’s poem: this golden light that dances upon the leaves, these idle clouds sailing across the sky, this passing breeze leaving its coolness upon my forehead. “This is Tagore’s love for nature. Love can resolve all conflicts and difficulties, and love can connect the friendship between China and India,” she said.
Souraja Tagore gave “two lessons” during the visit. One was a dance lesson with students of Shanghai Jinyuan Senior High School, and the other was with international students at the International School of Tongji University. On both occasions, it was the same song with the same young faces. Young people are the future of China and India, as well as the hope of Asia and the entire world.
As early as in 2008, Shanghai Jinyuan Senior High School and Tagore International School became friendly schools, making Jingyuan the first senior high school in China to sign a friendly school agreement with its Indian counterpart. During their stay in China, the Indian delegation saw some Chinese students learning Indian dance in the dance classroom, while in another room a Chinese teacher was teaching Indian students to practice Chinese calligraphy online. “The children’s dance steps are brisk and lively, with smiles on their faces. I hope that they can perform on a larger stage one day,” said Souraja Tagore.
“My students are very interested in Chinese culture. They want to learn paper-cutting and watch Chinese TV plays,” Banerjee saw a need to further promote Chinese culture and Indian culture into small cities of the two nations and enhance mutual understanding between the two. “Our school now only has one online Chinese native teacher, and we hope that more teachers from China will teach in our school in the future. Exchanges should not go just ‘one way’. Mutual and long-term exchanges are necessary.”
Promoting Friendly Cooperation by
Following the Footsteps of Sages
Tagore had high expectations for the revival and development of Eastern civilizations represented by China and India, and his exchanges with Chinese poet Xu Zhimo have become an amazing story in the history of cultural exchanges between the two nations. The interaction and dialogues between Chinese and Indian cultures have continued.
During the delegation’s visit to Shanghai, Zhao Lihong, Vice Chairman of the Shanghai Writers’ Association, presented his collection of poems to the Indian guests, which included his famous poem Do You See My Heart? as his reflections on reading Tagore’s selected poems. It was a wonderful dialogue between Chinese and Indian poets across space and time.
At the Shanghai Municipal Archives, Director General Ms. Xu Weiwan introduced the collection of the archives to the visiting guests. She and Baisakhi Mitra, Curator of the Rabindra Bharati Museum in Kolkata, jointly looked back at the history of cooperation between the two museums in designing and building the Chinese Section of the Tagore Museum and explored the direction of future cooperation.
Sabyasachi Basu Ray Chaudhury, former Vice Chancelor of Rabindra Bharati University, believed that the purpose of the Indian delegation’s visit to China was precisely to continue Tagore’s “mission”, promote friendly cooperation between China and India and work with each other in the same direction. “As neighbors and dear brothers, our two nations should have bilateral exchanges instead of making contact through third parties. In this way, the clouds will surely be dispelled, and spring flowers will blossom.”
As Tagore said during his visit to China 100 years ago: “Let what seems a barrier become a path, and let us unite, not in spite of our differences, but through them!”
