Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c15.s2.t5.11

v2.c15.s2.t5.11

On August 11, 1938, Tao Xingzhi arrived at Bolpur by train and instantly went to Visva-Bharati University to pay a visit to Tagore. He had earlier met Tagore once when the poet was in Beijing in 1924. Over a cup of tea, they listened to Bengali music and talked for an hour. Though his ideas about education differed much from those of Tagore, they still had many common points. Both wanted to rejuvenate the nation through education, establish an unconventional school, put forth their own ideas about education, carry out educational experiments, deign to raise education funds, devote their life to the cause of education and education was their life. But for Tagore’s old age and poor health, they should have had much more to talk about. Besides, Tao Xingzhi had a tight schedule. Tagore had a high opinion of Tao Xingzhi, saying that he was not only a creative educator, but was also a brave and excellent anti-fascism fighter.