Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c10.s2.t30.10

v2.c10.s2.t30.10

Anand’s relationship with his Chinese friends can be traced back to the time when he studied in Britain. He made friends with Ye Junjian, Xiao Qian and several other Chinese writers. In 1951, he visited China as a member of the ‘Indian goodwill mission’, attended the National Day ceremony and was received & entertained by Chinese leaders. In 1952, he delivered a speech at the symposium on commemorating the 10ᵗʰ anniversary of the publication of Mao Zedong’s ‘*Talks at the Yan’an Forum on Literature and Art*’ held by Indian progressive writers and artists. In 1953, he gave his ‘*Indian Fairy Tales*’ to Bing Xin, a member of the visiting India-China friendship delegation in India, and entrusted her to translate the book into Chinese. Later, the book was translated by Bing Xin and was published in China. He began to communicate with Wang Huaiting by letter in 1982 to discuss problems in translation. In 1986, he received Wang Huaiting in India as a distinguished guest and introduced him to his life and works, writing background, process and intention of the ‘trilogy’. He also gave 14 of his novels to Wang Huaiting to thank him for introducing his works to Chinese readers. He visited China again at the invitation of the Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China in 1992, during which he in the company of Wang Huaiting visited his Chinese friends and had academic exchanges with the Institute of Foreign Literature, Chinese Academy of Social Science. He also visited Dunhuang and praised the Feitian murals by saying, “Feitian indicates that the Chinese are more brilliant than Europeans. Angel can be called Feitian in Europe, but she has to be painted with two wings; while Chinese Feitian features dynamics, ribbons, lines and colors and it’s very beautiful.” He gave a eulogy before he left, stating, “Exquisite drawing skills make me lose myself in the