Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c10.s2.t9.10

v2.c10.s2.t9.10

chief editor also published in two consecutive issues of Tagore's poetry in September and October. Shen Yanbing, Xu Zhimo, Wang Tongzhao, Hu Yuzhi and he, published all articles and translations in a bid to invite Tagore to visit to China. On April 12, 1924, Tagore arrived in Shanghai, received a warm welcome from the literary and academic circle in Shanghai with Zheng Zhenduo representing the Literary Research Association that went on to greet Tagore in the wharf. During Tagore's visit to Beijing, Zheng Zhenduo also went to Beijing to participate in Tagore's farewell party hosted by Mei Lanfang and others. Among the modern Chinese writers, Zheng Zhenduo was the one who was the most influenced by Tagore. Second, he visited India twice. He first visited India as a member of the delegation of Chinese culture and art in 1951. In 1952, he served as the director of China-India Friendship Association, and published the article *Congratulations on “Asian Week” Held around India* in *People's Daily*. In 1953, he published *China-India Cultural Exchanges* in *Journal of Literature and Art*. In 1954, 67 people of Chinese cultural delegation, with him as the head, visited India for 41 days. In 1955, he published the article *Everlasting Artistic Creation of Indian People* in *Xinhua Monthly* to talk about and praise Ajanta Caves art. Third, he carried on the comparative study on Indian and Chinese literature. He wrote many articles such as *Coincidences and Variations of Folk Tales in Different Cultures*, *Milkmaid*, *Adaptation of the Fable of the Zhongshan Wolf* to compare Chinese stories with Indian ones. He once said, "there are many funny and foolish jokes in *Twenty-five Stories of Demon (Vetālapahcavimsatika)*, *Seventy-two Stories of Parrot (Sukasaptati)* and *Five Buddhist Scriptures (Panchatantra)* of India's huge stories collection *Katharsitsagar*". In his works, he also talked about how Indian literature has influenced Chinese literature through Buddhism. He said that, "The origin of Bianwen cannot not be credited to India", and that "Our important folk literatures, such as Tanci, Buddha song and Guci, are also created under the influence from India." His researches have provided a model for the subsequent researchers of comparative literature in China.