Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c4.s2.156

v1.c4.s2.156

The Rajiv Gandhi visit of 1988 gave a boost to cultural exchanges between India and China. Numerous cultural delegations have been exchanged since then. Festivals of India and China have been organised in each others' countries. Notable instances of cultural cooperation included the construction with Indian assistance of a Buddhist temple of Indian style in Luoyang and the establishment of a Xuanzang Memorial Hall at Nalanda, the site of the famous educational centre visited by Xuanzang in India in ancient times. The Cultural Exchange Programme launched after the visit of Premier Wen Jiabao in December 2010 in particular has triggered activity in various spheres including exchanges of visits of writers and performing artists, archaeologists, archivists, and others as well as the organising of film festivals and other cultural festivals as well as youth delegations and sports and media exchanges. Academic exchanges between scholars from India and China are also increasing steadily and cover diverse branches of knowledge. Apart from officially sponsored forms of cultural exchange, there are other trends as well. Indian Yoga, food, fashion and films are gaining popularity in China. The popularity of Chinese language courses, Chinese martial arts and certain forms of Chinese medicine is also increasing in India.