Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c11.s2: B. Personalities
Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c11.s2
- Language
- English
Contents
- v2.c11.s2.t1 Wan Baochang — 4 parts
- v2.c11.s2.t2 Cao Miaoda — 3 parts
- v2.c11.s2.t3 Sujiva — 9 parts
- v2.c11.s2.t4 Cui Lingqin — 9 parts
- v2.c11.s2.t5 Nan Zhuo — 4 parts
- v2.c11.s2.t6 Duan Anjie — 5 parts
- v2.c11.s2.t7 Mei Lanfang — 24 parts
- v2.c11.s2.t8 Zhang Jun — 12 parts
- v2.c11.s2.t9 Uday Shankar — 9 parts
- v2.c11.s2.t10 Ravi Shankar — 14 parts
- v2.c11.s2.t11 Kamala Lakshman — 6 parts
B. Personalities
Wan Baochang
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Wan Baochang (about 556-595 CE) was a musician of Sui Dynasty who lived in Liang of Southern Dynasty in his childhood. As Chen destroyed Liang, he and his father Wan Datong followed the General of Liang, Wang lin to obey the Northern Qi. His hearing was extremely sensitive and he studied music from Zu Ting, the well-known musician of the Northern Qi. After Wang Lin died in a battle against Chen, his father planned again to flee from the Northern Qi and go back to South China, but was killed. Wan Baochang was also degraded as a pariah of musician.
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In the Northern Dynasty, most people were immersed by Indian culture and believed in Buddhism in the Western Regions. Music was also “playing mixed with Buddhist language.” Along with Buddhism becoming popular and the government promotion of alien nations, the music of Western Regions was in full flourish. Kucha music was even more popular in the Northern Qi. Wan Baochang often asked the Western Region’s musicians for advice; therefore, he was a high level musician of Kucha music derived from Indian Buddhist culture. He was good at playing various kinds of instruments and proficient in rhyming. He used to make the jade chimes and dedicated it to the Northern Qi and revised the old Luoyang songs. Later on, the Northern Zhou destroyed the Northern Qi and Sui Dynasty replaced the Northern Zhou, and Wan Baochang became a part of the Sui people afterwards.
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In the early Kaihuang Period during the reign of Yang Jian, Emperor Wen of Sui (581 CE), Peiguogong Zheng Yi et al, set out the rites and music, and Wan Baochang was often invited to be a part in the discussion, to make instruments by imperial order and was toning for melody by using the self-made water ruler. Wan Baochang had an extremely high level of artistic culture that he “could write songs handily.” But because of the simple and elegance of his melodies, people were not fond of such kind of music. He had many suggestions about music theory and wrote 64 volumes of *Music Notation* to discuss the prosody theory of “eight tones that were included in Gong, and if strings and columns changed, the tone would change with a total 84 tones, 144 rhythms and changes of 1,800 sounds.” His theory was not accepted finally because of his humble status and he was even defamed by peers or high officials. Finally, he was abandoned by his wife and died of starvation. Before dying, he angrily destroyed his *Music Notation*. Only a few volumes was grabbed by witnesses and passed on.
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(*Zhao Jiazi*)
Cao Miaoda
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Cao Miaoda (late 6^th century CE), a pipa player from Northern Qi to early Sui Dynasty, was born in a pipa sarcar in the state of Cao in the Western Regions (present-day Northeast Samarkand of Uzbekistan). At the end of Northern Wei, his grandfather Cao Brahman and his father Cao Sengnu had been living in the Central Plains. Cao Brahman used to study Kucha pipa from a merchant, therefore, his son Cao Sengnu and grandchildren Cao Miaoda and his sister were all good at playing Kucha pipa. Cao Miaoda’s offspring Cao Bao and his son, Cao Shancai and grandson, Caogang were all outstanding pipa players and impressive from Northern Qi to Tang Dynasty.
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Cao Miaoda’s pipa acting skills received high appreciation from Gaoyang, the Emperor Wenxuan in Northern Qi (dominated in 550-559 CE). Every time when Cao Miaoda played the pipa, Gao Yang always joined by beating the Hu drum. Gao Wei (dominated in 550-559 CE), emperor of late Northern Qi, who was very fond of the Western Regions music, favoured Cao Miaoda even more, granted him the high post with a salary equal to the ministers, and even granted him the infanta. People at that time said that, “the musician who was granted the rajah is only Cao Miaoda.” After Northern Qi was abolished, Cao Miaoda went to Sui and was the royal musical officer. According to the records of *Sui Book • Music Collection*, Emperor Wen of Sui, Yang Jian (dominated in 581-604 CE) ordered him to teach Qing temple songs and Northern Zhou songs as Taichang. During the period of the first emperor of Sui (581-600 CE), he and Wang Changtong, Li Shiheng, Guo Jinle and An Jingui were “wonderful in orchestral music, updated and changed songs all the time, showing their musical talent to royals, and were adored all over the country. *Sui Book •Biography of Wan Baochang* recorded that Cao Miaoda et al, “could compose, studies the Zheng music and made the music wonderful.” This indicated that he absorbed the essence of folk music of the Central Plains to enrich his performance and creation, while inheriting the tradition.
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(*Zhao Jiazi*)
Sujiva
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Sujiva (6^th century CE) is a pipa player and a renowned royal musician in Northern Dynasty, born in Kucha of the Western Regions (now in Kuqa area of China Sinkiang). Generations of his family were all working as instrumentalists. In the third year of Tianhe Period (568 CE) during the rein of Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou (dominated in 561-578 CE), Sujiva joined the Northern Zhou, following Turkic Queen, Ashinas, being good at playing pipa and music melodies.
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According to *Sui Book* • *Music Records*, Sujiva “joined the Northern Zhou following Turkic Queen and was good at playing the pipa. When he was playing, people heard seven tones in the octave and asked why. He replied that his "father was a musician in the Western Regions; and seven melodies were studied through the generations". Using seven melodies to collate the seven sounds
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*Five-stringed pipa with spiral shaped cowrie shells in red sandalwood as Tang Dynasty treasure product. It originated in the Western Regions of the ancient times, and entered the central plains of China during the northern Wei Dynasty. It obtained its determining features during the Tang Dynasty. Later, it was kept at Shōso-in treasure house, belonging to the Tōdai-ji and Nārā, Japan.*
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seemed practical.” Sujiva explained the Kucha music theory of “Five Rhymes and Seven Melodies” derived from India, and the Western Regions dancing was represented by Kucha music, which had a great influence on the later music of the Central Plains, and became an important turning point in the history of Chinese ancient music. Yan music’s 28 melodies in Sui and Tang Dynasties were evolved from this and the same in Song Dynasty were related. Musician Zheng Yi in the Northern Zhou and Sui Dynasty used to study the theories of Kucha pipa and Kucha music melodies from Sujiva, and was inspired by Kucha prosody and skills, ad thereby evolved the 48 melodies theory. Kucha music and dance taught by Sujiva became one of the important palace music works in the three generations of Northern Zhou, Sui and Tang Dynasty.
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The five-string pipa Sujiva used played an important role in the development of musical art in the flourishing Tang Dynasty, which was popular for 500 years from Northern and Southern Dynasties to Sui and Tang Dynasties. It was the main instrument for the Xiliang, Kucha, Hindustan, Sulaq, Boukhara and Goryeo music works among nine and 10 music works of Sui and Tang. From then on, pipa became one of the most important national instruments of China.
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Kucha prosody of “Five Rhymes and Seven Sounds” taught by Sujiva was also called “Five Rhymes and Seven Melodies”, and was a mode of Kucha music. “Dan” means rhyme. “Five Rhymes and Seven Melodies” were established over five different types of pitches. *Sui Book* • *Music Records* stated that “its sounds should be five rhymes of Huangzhong, Taicu, Linzhong, Nanlv and Guxian.” They formed seven melodies based on a heptachord. Each rhyme has seven melodies and “Five Rhymes” have total 35 melodies. “Seven melodies” means Gong, Shang, Jue, Bianzhi, Zhi, Yu and Biangong”. If being ordered according to musical scale, those melodies will be “5 6 b7 1 2 3 4”. They are also the tonic of 28 melodies and seven Gong of Yan music: Huangzhong Gong, Zheng Gong, Gao Gong, Zhonglv Gong, Daodiao Gong, Nanlv Gong and Xianlv Gong.
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After Sujiva joined Northern Zhou, he had used the Han name and made a name for himself in the court. Chinese musicologist Shen Zhibai stated that Sujiva’s Han name was Bai Zhitong in his book *Outline of Chinese Music History*.
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Sujiva’s Gong melody theory significantly influenced not only Chinese ancient music such as gagaku and folk music, as well as Song iambic verse and Yuan drama, but also promoted the development of musical dance in South Korea, North Korea, Japan, Vietnam and Burma.
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(Zhao Jiazi)
Cui Lingqin
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Cui Lingqin (8th century CE), was born between the periods of Kaiyuan and Tianbao of Tang in Boling (now in Dingzhou of Hebei province), served as Cangcaocanjun of Zuojinwu, Yuanwailang of Ministry of Rites and Guozisiye, and wrote the book of *Royal Academy Records* in 762 CE.
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Royal Academy was an ancient government office for managing the royal music governed by Taichang who was responsible for sacrificial rites and music, and it was the place gathering the court musicians. The Royal Academy was set up in the Period of Wude during the reign of Emperor Gaozu of Tang (618- second year of Kaiyuan Period during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong (714 CE) and it also expanded. Apart from the internal royal academy built in the Penglai Palace, the left royal academy and right royal academy were set up in Changan and Luoyang, respectively. They exclusively managed education, conducted rehearsal of music, singing and dancing except the gagaku, and offered songs and dances for the palace at any time. *New Tang Book • Rituals and Music* described that “In the flourishing period
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*A scene from early Tang Dynasty depicting training of running a handloom at Chang’an.*
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'Jiao fang ji', published version of Ming Dynasty
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of Tang, musicians, singers and staff belonging to the Taichang and instrument department all had posts in the institution as many as several tens of thousands,” among whom many excellent artistes came from various folk and foreign regions. Up to the period of Emperor Xuanzong, the number of musical staff reached 11,400 just in Changan city.
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Royal Academy Records recorded the systems of department, anecdotes and the contents and origins of music, as well as 324 songs including 46 omagari, which were the important documents for studying music, dance, opera and acrobatics in Tang Dynasty, especially in the early and flourishing period of Tang. When Cui Lingqin worked as Cangcaocanjun, he could hear the royal academy’s past stories directly from junior officers who served there. Therefore, the systems and anecdotes recorded in the Royal Academy Records had a high historical value. Those listed songs such as *Great Peace*, *Triumphal Music*, *Peace Music*, *South Hindustan*, *Plenilune Brahman* and *Omagari of Nishang*, *Kucha Music*, *Liangzhou*, etc came from ancient India or Kucha was influenced by Indian culture or “changed the Kucha music to be.”
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The earlier spread editions of Royal Academy Records include *On Fu* written by Tao Zongyi at the end of Yuan Dynasty and *On Hai of Ancient and Modern Times* written by Ye Luji in the middle of Ming Dynasty. In 1959, it was recorded into *Chinese Classical Opera Works Collections* by Chinese Opera Institute. In 1962, the Royal Academy Records Commentary by Ren Bantang of modern times was published by China Publishing House.
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Apart from the main body, there were also the *Royal Academy Records • Preface* recording in volume CCCXCVI of *Articles of Tang Dynasty*; *Royal Academy Records • Additional Records* recording in volume VII of *On Series* by Zeng Zao.
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(Zhao Jiazi)
Nan Zhuo
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Nan Zhuo (9th century CE), also called Zhaosi, he is a scholar of the Tang Dynasty. He was born in the time of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (dominated in 846-858 CE), and served as Shiyi, Luoyangling, Ombudsman of the south Guizhou province successively. When he was in Luoyang, he used to be in contact with Bai Juyi (772-846 CE) and Liu Yuxi (772-842 CE) to discuss regarding Kakko, the national instrument of the Western Regions of China. He was perfect in poems, music and wrote books - *Kakko Records*, *Guidance of Tang Dynasty*, *Calendar Era Records of Tang Dynasty*, *Argument of History* and *Nan Zhuo’s Essays*, among which *Kakko Records* contained the important documents for studying the Tang music, court life and social morality.
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The shape and structure of Kakko can be, “like painting bucket, made from mulberry wood with a supporter, beat by two rods,” so it is also called
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'Jiegu lu'
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“two rods drum” with the “rapid and strong sounds,” and widely used in Kucha, Chotscho, Sulaq and Hindustan. It was directly derived from India and its graphics were embossed in Sanchi Stupa. It was introduced to China in the Northern and Southern Dynasties from the Western Regions, and popular in Tang Dynasty. Li Longji, the Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (685-762 CE), Prime Minister Song Jing (663-737 CE) and musician Li Guinian (8th century CE) were all superiors in playing Kakko. Kakko Records described the origin, shape and stories between the periods of Kaiyuan and Tianbao of Tang with a list of Kakko songs. There were 23 songs of Taicu Gong, 50 songs of Taicu Shang, 14 songs of Taicu with two tones of Zhi and Yu; only Taicu music uses the Kakko; and 10 Buddhist songs and 32 banquet songs. Song names used Sanskrit based on the language of Kucha, Chotscho, Sulaq and Hindustan. The whole book consisted of two sections, the former being finished in the second year of Dazhong Period (848 CE), and the latter being finished in the fourth year of Dazhong Period (850 CE). Qian Xizuo of Qing (1800-1844) and Ren Erbei (1897-) in modern times, organised and published the perfect collated book.
Duan Anjie
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Duan Anjie (9th century CE), a music theorist of later Tang, was born in Linzi of Qizhou (now in northeast Zibo of Shandong Province), with an inherited official family background, who was an offspring of Duan Zhixuan, the famous general of
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'Yuefu zalu'
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Tang. His grandfather Duan Wenchang used to be the prime minister during the reign of the Emperor Muzong of Tang (dominated in 821-824 CE), and his father Duan Chengshi (unknown-863 CE) was the Taichangshaoqing who was “good at melody.” Wen Tingyun (812-870 CE), a poet in Tang Dynasty, was proficient in melody and was his father-in-law. Duan Anjie used to be the Dafu of ritual working with the nation’s Zisi business. He was good at prosody and could compose music and write songs. In the first year of Kunning Period in Tang (894 CE), he wrote a volume of *Music Miscellany* including music works, dances, comedians, instruments, music and songs as well as stories of famous singers and pipa players. *Recognition of Five Tones and Twenty-eight Melodies* was attached at the end of the book. But the chart was lost with only words left. The author said that he himself “was good at melody in childhood, so he learned a little Gong and Shang, heard a few times and could memorise a little.” He once read the *Royal Academy Record*, but not in detail, and edited the *Music Miscellany* by seeing and hearing. Because of the Guangming Event (880 CE), Emperor Xizong (dominated in 874-888 CE), went to the state of Shu, but “half of opera actors had gone, and music and songs were in the decline.” Therefore, this book made up the deficiencies of Cui Lingqin’s *Royal Academy Record* and had a high reference value for music, dance and drama especially in late Tang.
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Besides the texture research about the origin of music, an outstanding contribution of *Music Miscellany* was to record a large amount of folk music used by the royals in the middle of Tang, especially after An Lushan Rebellion. Secondary, although *Recognition of Five Tones and Twenty-eight Melodies* attached at the end of book had no pictures left and it was hard to know the whole story. The words about pipa melody are still the precious material for later generations to study the Tang prosody and Gong melody. Thirdly, it recorded the stories for socially disadvantaged musicians who contributed greatly to Tang musical dancing.
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The book of *Music Miscellany* recorded many stories about the pipa. Duan Anjie’s *Pipa Stories* was recorded in the book of “Explanation of Zhizhai Books’ by Song people, Chen Zhensun. Chao Boyu called it *Pipa Records* in his *Continued Collected writings*, so the later generations called it ‘*Pipa Records*’ as well. Both *Shoushange Series* and *China Classical Opera Works Integration* (China Opera Press, 1959) compiled by Qian Xizuo in Qing Dynasty included the collated revision of this book. (Zhao Jiazi)
Mei Lanfang
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Mei Lanfang (October 22, 1894～August 8, 1961) was a Peking Opera artist. His ancestral home was in Taizhou, Jiangsu, and he was born in Beijing. When the Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore visited China in 1924, he got to know and became a friend of Mei Lanfang.
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**Life:** Mei Lanfang was born to a family of opera performers. He began to learn opera performance
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Mei Lanfang
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at the age of eight, made his stage debut at 11 and was famous in Beijing and Shanghai at around 20.
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Rabindranath Tagore's gift of white silken fan to Mei Lanfang (front side)
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He moved to Shanghai in 1918. He was good at ‘Qingyi, Huashan’ and ‘Daomadan’, and after Wang Yaoqing, he made innovations and inventions to ‘*dan*’ role’s singing, speaking, dancing, music, attire and makeup, and form the unique “Mei School”. He was good at both Peking and Kunqu opera. His look was pretty and singing melodious. He was a master of ‘*dan*’ role and enjoyed an international fame. In a half century, he had performed nearly 400 plays, including among others ‘*Yuzhou Feng, Guifei Zuijiu, Bawang Bieji, Duanqiao, Youyuan Jingmeng, Feng Huan Chao, Kang Jinbing, Mu Guiying Guashuai*’ and ‘*Tiannv Sanhua*’, and was acclaimed by the international community as the “incarnation of beauty”. He was patriotic and refused to perform during the Japanese
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Rabindranath Tagore’s gift of white silken fan to Mei Lanfang (back side)
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occupation. He successively served as the Director of China Beijing Opera Theater, Director of the Chinese Opera Research Institute, Vice-Chairman of China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and Vice-Chairman of China Theatre Association. Besides his autobiography, ‘*Forty Years of Life on the Stage*’, his articles and essays have been published in ‘*The Collected Works of Mei Lanfang*’. Recordings of his best-known performances have been published in *A Selection of Beijing Operas Performed by Mei Lanfang*. He died of heart attack in Beijing at the age of 67.
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**Art and Literary Exchange with Tagore:** As the greatest drama performer in modern China, Mei Lanfang developed an unusual friendship with Tagore. When the latter visited China in the spring of 1924, Mei Lanfang met him for many times and at various places, for instance, accompanied him to Ling Yin Temple in Hangzhou, attended the poet’s lectures or birthday celebration, or treated him privately at his abode in Beijing (No. 24, Wuliang Daren Lane).
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On May 7, Tagore had his 64ᵗʰ birthday and the Chinese side held a solemn celebration for him. That night, there was a performance *Chitra* (a famous play by Tagore) in English at the assembly hall of Union Medical College (located at Dongdan Santiao, Beijing). This is the first time for China to ever perform an Indian play. Tagore was in the middle of the third row, while Mei Lanfang sat beside him.
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A stage performance of Mei Lanfang's 'Luo Shen'
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Tagore had been involved in the performance of many of his plays and had a good knowledge of performing art. Like old friends, they appreciated each other, and Tagore said, he would like to see his performance before leaving Beijing. Therefore, Mei Lanfang invited him to his performance of ‘*Goddess of the Luo River*’. On May 19, he had a special performance of *Goddess of the Luo River* at Kaiming Theatre (later named as “Minzhu Theatre”) for Tagore, who, in a deep red hat and a red robe (formal attire for Visva-Bharati University), sat upright in the middle of the box. Upon the end of the performance, he went to the backstage to express his thanks and invite Mei Lanfang to a talk in the next day. In the noon of May 20, he, together with Liang Qichao, Yao Mangfu and others, gave a farewell dinner to Tagore, who would leave for Taiyuan that night. At the dinner, Tagore praised ‘*Goddess of the Luo River*’, and suggested that rare stones and exotic plants should be used to produce a mystic rather than an ordinary setting for “Meeting on the River”, and he also mentioned the close connection between Chinese opera and arts as well as the thorough knowledge that an artist should have. Mei Lanfang accepted his advice and later asked people to redesign the setting accordingly, which is still in use now. Besides a common interest in theatre performance, they two liked painting as well and exchanged experiences in this respect. Tagore improvised a poem and wrote it down on a silk fan with a Chinese brush pen. The original was in Bengali and he self-translated it into English, and then marked his name and that of the recipient. He recited it in Bengali and then gave it to Mei Lanfang as a present. Literarily, this poem says:
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'The Drunken Beauty', enacted by Yang Yuhuan (left), Jiang Miaoxiang as Pei Lishi
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Dear, the veil of an unknown language
Covers your face
Just like a remote mountain
Shrouded by mist and cloud
(Translated by Shi Zhen)
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In return, Mei Lanfang wrote down on the folding fan given to him by the calligraphist Tang Dingzhi the following four lines quoted from *Goddess of the Luo River*, and gave it to Tagore as a souvenir.
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Rays and clouds in the sky, light dress wetted
As beside the Milky Way and blue river
Where misty love to go
Water, fog and a cool moon
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Mei Lanfang selected a number of his own albums recorded by EMI, such as *Chang’e Benyue*, *Fenhe Wan*, *Nihong Guan* and *Mulan Congjun*, together with Peng Pai by Tan Xinpei, Yu Sulu’s Kuqu opera *Sanzui* and *Chaishu*, and *Nantian Men*, a Pu opera by Yuan Yuan Hong and Xiao Hongxiu, and gave them to Tagore.
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That night, Mei Lanfang went to the railway station to see Tagore off. Before departure, Tagore invited him to visit and perform in India. In 1935, Mei Lanfang went to visit Soviet Union and Europe, and “returned by way of Bombay (present-day Mumbai), where he went ashore and had a rest for half of a day. Regrettably, he did not go to see Tagore. In the winter of 1954, a Chinese cultural delegation visited India and gave Peking opera performance in New Delhi, Calcutta (present-day Kolkata), Bombay (present-day Mumbai) and Madras (present-day Chennai). For some reason, Mei Lanfang did not go. He felt excited when hearing Li Shaochun’s account of his visit to Tagore’s former residence in Santiniketan.
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**Mutual Affinity:** In 1941, Tagore, at the age of 80, was about to die, nostalgic of that warm birthday celebration in Beijing, he wrote the following poem:
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In the vessel of my birthdays
Sacred waters from many pilgrimages
Have I gathered, this I remember
Once I went to the land of China
Those whom I had not met
Put the mark of friendship on my forehead,
Calling me their own intimate
Unconsciously the garment of the stranger falls off
Inside that lasting being appears
Revealing a comforting relationship
To my surprise.
I have a Chinese name and attire in a Chinese way
I know, no matter where I am
Where there are friends, there will be a new life
From them I see a miracle of life
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Of his Chinese friends, Mei Lanfang no doubt has an important position in his heart, and is one of his soul mates.
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Mei Lanfang never forgot this Indian friend. On May 13, 1961, on the occasion of Tagore’s 100th birthday, he published on the Guangming Daily a poem, ‘*In Memory of the Indian Poet Tagore*’. The foreword states: “In the spring of 1924, Mr. Tagore visited China, and we met in Beijing and held delighted talks about arts. I played ‘*Goddess of the Luo River*’ for him. After the performance, he composed a poem for me and wrote it down on a silk fan. The time is fleeting, and more than 30 years have passed. Tagore is fond of China and often expresses his emotion through poems, and I write this poem to commemorate his 100th birthday.” The poem says: “the old poet once came, hearty and hoary, reputed but without arrogance, humble and friendly; we became friends right away, and he had a high expectation on me. He saw my performance, and composed a vivid and rhythmic poem, and wrote it on a silk fan for me. My talent is too small to deserve it. I accepted and felt encouraged. Looking back on his 100th birthday, I write a poem to commemorate his episodes. He is reputed and praised across the world. He wishes that China and India could rely on and help each other. He discusses writing and arts in a meticulous manner. He analyses and advises regardless of language barrier. He lectures in a sonorous way. Darkness will perish, and brightness will come. He opposes imperialism and aspires to national rejuvenation. In a new epoch, ugly beings will be isolated. He is a rare and far-sighted talent. China-India friendship has lasted for thousands of years, with frequent cultural exchange, the two nations are united. His rectitude will last forever, against which there will be no future”. Two months later, Mei Lanfang died out of a sudden, and this poem became his last writing. He also published *In Memory of Tagore*, a long article of more than 5,000 characters on People Literature (May issue), which is a valuable record about his episodes with Tagore, and the genuine friendship between these two world-class masters will be cherished and talked about by people forever.
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Tagore had treasured up albums given to him by Mei Lanfang. After the poet’s death in August 1941, these articles, as a witness of India-China cultural exchange, have been kept at the arts school’s museum of Visva-Bharati University. While, the silk fan given by Tagore, and paintings from Nandalal Bose, a famous Indian painter who visited China together with Tagore, are well preserved at Mei Lanfang Memorial Museum in Beijing.
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(*Liu Jian*)
Zhang Jun
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Zhang Jun (December 1935 - January 4, 2012) is a Chinese dancer, educator of oriental dance and expert of Indian dance. She is also one of the founders of China Oriental Performing Arts Group, and has even served as chief dancer, choreographer and art consultant. She is the deputy of the third and fourth session of National People’s Congress, member of Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and the committee member of the presidium of the China Dancers Association. In 1991, she was awarded as the performing artist with outstanding contribution by the State Council.
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Group photo of Zhang Jun with Premier Zhou Enlai
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She was dedicated to the performance, teaching and research of oriental dance, has even visited India to learn for eight times, and taught Indian dance in China. She was called “the founder of the Indian dance in China” by Indology scholar Ji Xianlin.
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**Life** Zhang Jun was born in Wuhan, Hubei. Her mother was a professor of classical literature, and her father used to study in Germany, and later worked in Shanghai Research Institute of Culture and History. Since both her parents loved art, she grew up under their influence and showed her talents since she was a child. At the age of 14, she was admitted to the Third Field Army Xin’an Tour Group (later renamed as Shanghai Opera House), to be a dancer. In 1954, she visited India, Indonesia and Burma along with the Chinese cultural delegation led by the premier Zhou Enlai. Under the guidance of Dai Ailian who was the founder of dance in new China, she first learned classical dance from Uday Shankar, who was the master of Indian dance. In 1956, she joined Beijing Dance School (now Beijing Dance Academy) for further studying. She planned to learn ballet from an expert from the Soviet Union, but under the advice and intentional arrangement of Dai Ailian, she turned to learn the dance of India and Southeast Asia, and from then on, she became interested in Indian dance. In 1957, Uday Shankar came to China, and Zhang Jun learned the ‘*Dance of Bouncing the Ball*’ from Uday Shankar. This dance brought Zhang Jun great fame, and was performed in the convention building of China Oriental Performing Arts Group. On November 6, 1957, Beijing Dance School opened the first oriental music and dance class (hereinafter referred to as the “oriental class”), in modern China, and Zhang Jun took part in the recruitment of students and organisation, and served as a dance instructor. Meanwhile, she led her students to learn the dance of nearly 10 countries such as India, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan and others. On January 5, 1961, the oriental class visited Burma along with the Premier Zhou Enlai, Zhang Jun and Zhao Shizhong’s ‘*Classical* *Pas De Deux of Burma*’ received a warm welcome from the Prime Minister U Nu and the audiences, and they were honoured as “Burmese princess and prince flying from China” by local media. In the farewell banquet held by the Premier Zhou Enlai, the oriental class headed by Zhang Jun performed the folk dance of many countries. On January 13, 1962, the China Oriental Performing Arts Group was established. As the main actor and professional instructor, Zhang Jun became one of the founders of the group. In 1963, Zhang Jun visited Cambodia along with a Chinese delegation led by Enlai, and performed Cambodian classical dance ‘*Fairy in Spring Garden*’ taught by Princess Norodom Buppha Devi, who was the daughter of Prince Norodom sihanouk, receiving high praise, and she was even awarded medals by the prince, and called “Buppha Devi from China” by the local media.
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Zhang Jun
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Indian former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi with Zhang Jun
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**Study in India** With the encouragement of “master Indian dance” from Zhou Enlai, Zhang Jun devoted her best years to Indian dance. For the same reason she is known to all, but only until in 1980 did she go to India as an overseas student for learning dance. In order to learn more in limited time, she worked for 15 hours a day with her partner, and mastered many kinds of dance within a year. Finally, she obtained the honourary degree of Darpana Academy of Performing Arts. In 1981, she was invited to write entries about classical Indian dance forms, including Bharatanatyam, Manipuri, Kathakali and Kuchipudi for ‘*Encyclopedia of China · Dance and Music*’, later authorised by the Indian Embassy in China to write two entries of Odissi and Kathak. In the spring of 1982, the China Oriental Performing Arts Group first opened an Indian dance class to teach students Bharatanatyam, Alarippu, Odissi, Manipuri and Kathak. These dances received high praise during the public performance of China Oriental Performing Arts Group, and from then on, Indian dance became one of the traditional strengths of China Oriental Performing Arts Group. In addition, Zhang Jun trained singing actors in dance, and enabled them to better perform an India-Pakistan song. In 1982 and 1987, Zhang Jun twice went to India for studies, and within two years, she learned the courses which Indian students usually need a decade to learn. After returning home, she began to cultivate successors, providing guidance to professional actors, and opened an Indian dance class for children from the art guidance centre of China Oriental Performing Arts Group. In 1988, when India’s Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi visited China, he specially commissioned officials from Indian Embassy in China to go to Zhang Jun’s home and presented her with foot bells for dance, and met many Chinese experts, including Zhang Jun in the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. In 1990, Zhang Jun and her colleague Yu Haiyan jointly launched the “Dunhuang dance and Indian dance appreciation party”, and put the comparative study of dance on stage, which opened up a new situation for the future in-depth study of India-China dance. In 1991, President of India, R. Venkataraman visited China. Zhang Jun, together with Lin Ping, Zhao Xiaozhen, Li Mowen performed Indian dance for the President and his entourage, receiving high praise. Later, she went to India for studyies at the invitation of the President, with her student Su Baohua. During this period in India, R. Venkataraman invited them to the Rashtrapati Bhavan. In 1995, Outstanding Talents-Autumn Evening Party was held, with all modern Chinese masters of dance gathering together. And Zhang Jun and a four-year-old pupil Zhang Mengyang performed Kathak Pas De Deux, letting the audience enjoy the master’s elegant demeanour and see the hope of the future dance. In 1999, Zhang Jun led her students, Jin Shanshan and others to record the teaching video of *Coursebook of Bharata Natya*. The video was awarded “the second prize of the third national education audio-visual products” at that time, and has been popular for many years and it became a necessary teaching material for Indian dance students. In September 2002, Zhang Jun opened a Bharatanatyam course in oriental class in Beijing Dance Academy, and her performance gained the high praise from Indian ambassadress at the time. With her help, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations invited all the teachers and students to visit India, which is made it Zhang Jun's eighth visit to India. Indian dance blossomed in China under her cultivation.
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Zhang Jun with Indian dancer Leela Samson
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**Influence in India** Sarabhai, the President of Darpana Academy of Performing Arts where Zhang Jun and Liu Youlan first studied, was surprised that they only took six months to learn all courses of Bharatanatyam. At that time, Mallika, the daughter of the president, was a little girl. In 2002, when she came to China, she specially went to Beijing Dance Academy in order to visit Zhang Jun, and listened to the Bharatanatyam course of oriental class. Birju Maharaj, the doyen of Kathak, gave Zhang Jun an Indian name Shanu, and called her "stone woman". Because of her spirit and hardwork, she was also admired by all the students from Kathak Kendra. Before she returned to China, all the teachers and students still had a great attachment to her, and students of Darpana came from Gujarat to New Delhi to see off Zhang Jun and Liu Youlan.
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On October 16, 1981, Mrs. Bala, the then Director of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, entertained Zhang Jun, Liu Youlan, Chinese ambassador couples in India and staff of cultural office at the Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi. Mrs. Bala said that "when you have not come here, I was thinking that what you would learn about Indian dance within short period of time. I consulted with Mrs. Sarabhai, and decided to allow to try. Now, seeing you have learned something, I feel very excited." India's *Financial Express* published an article in the special column of "Art Communication" in the second issue of 1982 in which it praised Zhang Jun and Liu Youlan's learning from the ancient sage Faxian and Xuanzang, and in making a great contribution to promoting India-China friendship.
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In 1991, Zhang Jun led a few students to study in India, and learned from Leela Samson who was a Bharatanatyam and Birju Maharaj, the king of Kathak. Those students were only eight or nine-year-olds at that time, but their performance was quite professional. Their performance in Madras and New Delhi produced a sensational effect. In 2003, Zhang Jun led the oriental class of Beijing Dance Academy to India again to learn and perform. They paid a visit to the Kalakshetra Academy of Arts, and also watched the performance of Kelucharan Mohapatra, the master of Odissi. The students' performance once again obtained the audiences' unanimous praise. On January 4, 2012, Zhang Jun died in Beijing. On January 11, *The Hindu*, an Indian national newspaper with the largest circulation in India, published a full-length article to report her deeds, expressing praise and recall.
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(*Jin Shanshan*)
Uday Shankar
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Uday Shankar (December 8, 1900 - September 26, 1977) was an Indian dancer and choreographer. He was good at applying western drama techniques to traditional Indian classical dance, with a large number of Indian classical, folk and tribal dance elements, forming the foundation of modern Indian dance. In the 1920s and 1930s, he vigorously popularised Indian dance in Europe and United States of America, giving it a position in the world.
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*Uday Shankar*
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He was honoured as "the founder of modern dance" in India. In 1962, he won the award of India music and drama club (Sangeet Natak Akademi), and was awarded the Padma Vibhushan by the Indian government in 1971.
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Shankar was born in a Bengali Brahmin family in Varanasi. His father graduated from Middle Temple in London. He was a scholar, and later became a lawyer in London. Shankar was the eldest son. His four younger brothers were all good in art, and the youngest, Ravi Shankar became the world famous sitar player. Shankar has even learned art in some schools in Varanasi and Mumbai, and then went to the Royal College of Art in London to learn painting. Meanwhile, he participated in dance performances off and on. During this period, Anna Pavlova, the most famous ballet dancer in Russia, wanted to have an artiste who could create a dance drama with together with the Indian style, and this changed Uday’s career. They jointly created the dance drama ‘*Oriental Impression*’ based on the story of Radha - Krisha in Hinduism, and its premiere was performed in the Royal College of Art in London. In 1931, Shankar set up the first Indian dance troupe in Europe, performing on tours in 84 cities in Europe and America within seven years. Meanwhile, they also partnered with many famous artistes. Shankar returned to India in 1927, and received a cordial reception and praise from the great poet. Rabindranath Tagore. With the suggestion of Tagore, he finally established Uday Shankar Center in India, in 1938.
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*Uday Shankar during a performance*
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Zhou Enlai meeting the entourage of the distinguished dancer Uday Shankar
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In July and August, 1957, Uday Shankar dance troupe visited China at the invitation of the premier Zhou Enlai. There were 27 dancers in his troupe, and they performed in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. On July 25, in the premiere in Beijing, the dance troupe performed the drama *Buddha Life*, *Labor and Machine*, *Indra*, *Manipuri* and so on, with seven musicians accompanying, receiving high praise from the audiences. In Shanghai, the group performed *Shadow Dance* created by Uday Shankar in 1953, and performed for the first time abroad. With slides setting off the background, such new artistic form reflected the performance made by the actors behind the scenes onto the stage curtain, making the audience appreciate their graceful dancing postures and story through the curtain. Zheng Zhenduo, the Vice Minister of Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China, wrote an article on the performance of *Dance like Sunrise*. During the dance troupe’s visit to China, Zhang Jun learned “Dance of Bouncing the Ball” from Uday, and transformed it into her own masterpiece. The dance presented the fun and loveliness of a girl bouncing the ball, and was very popular among Chinese people.
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Uday Shankar died in 1977, and his cause was inherited by his wife Amala, his son Ananda and daughter Mamata. All of them have their own schools and dance troupes, and have even visited China.
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(*Jin Shanshan*)
Ravi Shankar
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Ravi Shankar (formerly Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury, April 7, 1920 - December 11, 2012) Indian musician, music composer, Sitar concert performer. A Bengali, he was born in a Brahman family in the holy city of Varanasi. He had six older brothers, wherein the eldest brother Uday Shankar was an outstanding dancer. His father was a scholar who graduated from The Honorable Society of the Middle Temple in London, and later worked as a lawyer in London. His parents both had accomplished in music. Moreover, Ravi Shankar once visited China, which had a great effect on Chinese music, thus promoting India-China cultural communication in music.
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**Lifetime** Ravi Shankar left Varanasi at the age of 10, and followed the dance troupe of his eldest brother Uday Shankar to Paris. Later, he became a member of the dance troupe at the age of 13. On one hand, he participated in the tour show with other members in Europe and India; and on the other hand, he learned to dance and play various Indian musical instruments. In the early and middle periods of 1930s, he started to learn French during his tour show with the dance troupe in Europe and America, thus learning western classical music, jazz and film music as well as western customs. He gave up dancing in 1938, and came to the small city of Maihar (currently in east Madhya Pradesh) with musical customs, and then he was formally apprenticed to the outstanding court musician Allaudin Khan to study Indian classical music and received strict training in the fields of sitar, traditional music theory, musical instrument skills, etc. After completing his apprenticeship in 1944, he came to Bombay and composed for ballet. In 1949, he took the post of music director of Indian National Broadcasting Station. In the middle and later periods of the 1950s, he garnered international fame by writing music for *Apu Trilogy* - *Pather Panchali* (1955), *Aparajito* (1956) and *Apur Sansar* (1959), directed by the famous Satyajit Ray. In 1955, the American violinist Yehudi Menuhin invited Ravi Shankar to play Indian classical music in New York, but he gave up that opportunity due to his marital problems. However, the two musicians cooperated with each other twice respectively in 1966 and 1967, to play the violin and sitar in England and America. In January 1956, he resigned from the illustrious post in Indian National Broadcasting Station, and started to participate in tour shows to England, Germany and America. From 1956 till his death in 2012, Ravi Shankar was a world citizen since he travelled to many countries to give his tour shows. Besides the mainland of China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, he was also invited to participate in the tour shows around the four continents of Asia, Europe, America and Australia. The audiences were deeply attracted by his excellent acting skills, strong culture and pure professional ethics. He became popular through his cooperation with George Harrison from the Beatles, who called him the “Godfather of World Music.” He became the most famous and legendary Indian musician. During his whole life, he held more than 1,000 concerts, published many music albums and created many kinds of music works, such as *Sitar Concerto*, and his famous works, *My Music, My Life* (1968), *Learning Indian Music: A Systematic Approach* (1979), *Raga Mala: The Autobiography of Ravi Shankar* (1997) etc were popular all over the world.
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Ravi Shankar
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Ravi Shankar
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Ravi Shankar won a lot of awards during his whole life. At the beginning of his growth in the international arena, he won the Silver Bear at the Berlin Filmfest (1957) because of his soundtrack for the film *Kabuliwala*. He won the Grammy Award three times, as well as the Best Original Music Academy Award nomination (1982) for his contribution to the famous film, *Gandhi*. The Indian government also gave the highest national honourary award to him three times, namely, Padma Bhushan (1967), Padma Vibhushan (1981) and Bharat Ratna (1999). Additionally, he also received various awards from other countries, such as England, France, Australia, Japan, etc. Just before his death, he won the 1ˢᵗ Taiji Traditional Music Award in October 2012. He received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously in February 2013, He successively obtained 14 honourary doctorates from various countries. The then Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called him the “Indian National Treasure and Indian Culture Heritage Ambassador” on his death. In the condolence letter to his wife, Singh said that the death of Ravi Shankar was a great loss to India, as she lost such an outstanding son. And also a great loss to the music circle for losing such a brilliant star. His great spirit accompanied with his music stepped over the boundaries of the nation and art to benefit the whole human civilisation.
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**Travel to China** Ravi Shankar enjoyed great popularity in China. Professor Chen Ziming of CCOM (Central Conservatory of Music) issued an article named *Sitar and Ravi Shankar* in the magazine *Musical Instrument*, which was the first article to specially introduce the outstanding sitar concert performer. In August 1983, he visited China on the invitation of the Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China, and Chinese Musicians Association, and successively held several shows in Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai, and acquired great success. Besides the two concerts in Beijing, he also gave a lecture on Indian classical music at CCOM, introducing features and skills requires to play a sitar as well as the two theoretical pillars of Indian classical music — Raga (melody frame) and Tala (rhythm), and explaining these complicated music theory via his singing and playing. Since the Chinese were familiar with only the Indian film music and knew little about classical music before his visit to China, so his lecture and performance was significant for Chinese music lovers. Due to the interesting explanation given by Ravi Shankar, the audience started to understand and enjoy Indian classical music, while Chinese musicians felt the essence of Indian music for the first time.
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Ravi Shankar in his last years during a lively performance on stage.
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Ravi Shankar
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During the concerts and seminars held in China, Ravi Shankar directly connected with the Chinese music culture. He was delighted and pleased by the Chinese’s extensive and profound traditional culture, and admired Chinese musicians and wished to communicate with them. Chen Ziming issued an article called “Ravi Shankar—Music Envoy from India” on the 1ˢᵗ issue (1984) of *People’s Music*, which introduced Ravi Shankar’s travel in China; besides the performances and lectures, he also participated in a get-together party held for him by the Chinese Musicians Association, and appreciated the Chinese traditional instrumental music, the vocal music and the Indian dance performed by Chinese artistes. The Chinese musical instruments which he was most interested in were the seven-stringed plucked instrument (Guchin), the 4-stringed Chinese lute (Pipa), the 21-or 25-stringed plucked instrument (Guzheng) and the ancient plucked stringed instrument (Konghou). He said that he had succeeded in the musical creation “East Meets West” by the eastern and western music instruments. Therefore, he thought it would be also interesting for the musical creation “East Meets East” by Sitar and Pipa or Guzhenge. He hoped this would come true, so he could use the sitar to cooperate with Chinese musical instruments in the near future, so as to promote the combination of the two eastern music, namely, Indian music and Chinese music.
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**Influence in China** Chen Ziming received Ravi Shankar in Beijing, climbing Badaling Great Wall together with him, and was apprenticed to him. Afterwards, he suggested Chen Ziming to come to India to personally experience the Samadhi of Indian classical music. From then on, Ziming had great interest in Indian music and started to bring Indian music into the course of “World Folk Music” taught by him in early 1980s. In 1986, he assigned his student An Ping to study in India, the fellow traveller including Indian music expert, and Professor Zhao Jiazi of Shanghai Conservatory of Music.
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In 1989, when Ziming came to India as a visiting scholar for researching and studying Indian music, he visited Ravi Shankar and communicated with his Indian counterparts at his home. Chen Ziming used the violin to play Chinese music, such as a part of *The Butterfly Lovers*, *The Moon over a Fountain*, *The Yao Nationality Dance*, *Xinjiang Spring* and then he played European music, such as *Minuet*, *Ave Maria*, *Humoresque* and *Largo*. Ravi Shankar spoke highly of his performance.
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Under the appeal of Ravi Shankar’s travel in China and the encouragement of Professor Chen Ziming, Associate Professor Zhang Yuzhen of CNU (Capital Normal University) came to New Delhi Art University as a visiting scholar and studied sitar at the beginning of this century. During that period, via the arrangement of the Indian parties concerned and the recommendation of Chen Ziming, she got acquainted with Ravi Shankar and had the honour to learn from him. On December 2, 2001, she used the Chinese musical instrument-Pipa to play a piece of Raga together with the Indian musicians who used sitar, Indian whistle and tabla in a theatre in the heart of New Delhi, which became the first attempt of “China Meets India”. After coming back from India, she pursued advanced studies and got a doctorate from CCOM. Her doctoral dissertation *Indian and Western Music Blending Research in Ravi Shankar’s Artistic Practice* was the beginning of a deep research for Indian music by Chinese people. After several additions and deletions, the monograph *East Meets West: Indian and Western Music Blending Research of Ravi Shankar* was published by CNU Press in 2010.
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Liu Huiyuan, a teacher of Tianjin Opera School studied sitar in the Conservatory of Music at Delhi University between 2003-2006. In 2005, she used the Chinese Dulcimer to play Indian Raga and Chinese folk song *Jasmine*, together with an Indian musician who used both the sitar and tabla.
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In August 2012, the Chinese Conservatory of Music and Taiji Traditional Music Foundation together sponsored and held the 1ˢᵗ Taiji Traditional Music Award, which was intended for the individual or team with outstanding contribution to the fields of performance, heritage, theory, propagation, etc., of the global traditional music. Zhang Yuzhen recommended Ravi Shankar to participate, and he won the award. Due to his physical condition, he was not able to come to China to accept the prize, so he entrusted Chen Ziming to accept it at the award ceremony on October 25 on his behalf. Moreover, he specially sent the video from America of the evening party, which not only showed segments of his concert performance at the age of 90, but also expressed his testimonials and friendship with the Chinese people.
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