Professor Yu Longyu was watching the photographs put up on display in the foyer outside the Crystal Hall at Taj Bengal with keen interest. The photographs were of various cultural delegations that the consulate general of China had sent from Calcutta to China through the last couple of years. “That’s our university,” he told t2, pointing to a couple of pictures.
Deputy consul general of China, Qin Yong
The director of the Centre of Indian Studies at Shenzhen University was part of an 11-member delegation from seven universities in China which would travel to Santiniketan the next day to attend an international seminar at Visva-Bharati to mark the centenary of Rabindranath Tagore’s first visit to China and the 75th anniversary of India-China diplomatic ties.
The reception at Taj Bengal also marked the milestone in bilateral relations between the two countries. Chinese consul general Xu Wei reflected on the roller-coaster ride. “Over the past 75 years, China-India relations have traversed an extraordinary journey. Despite twists and difficulties, good neighbourliness and win-win cooperation have always been the main theme.”
His speech also took note of the progress made by both countries in this period. “These 75 years have witnessed China’s transformation from poverty and weakness to prosperity and strength... China firmly holds the position of the world’s second-largest economy... Our average life expectancy has increased from 35 to 78.6 years.... In 1952, India accounted for just 3.8 per cent of the world economy; but now it’s the world’s fifth-largest economy. India has also become the world’s second-largest software exporter and a leader in the IT service industry. Bollywood films and Indian spices are world-famous, and the long-standing ancient relics, diverse religious cultures, and vibrant music and dance arts attract students and tourists from all over the world,” he pointed out, adding that the combined economic volume of the two countries accounts for half of Asia’s total and one-fifth of the world economy.
Consul general Xu Wei with Rituparna Sengupta, A lion performs an acrobatic dance show
The evening featured a variety of cultural programmes. A dozen singers from St. Joan’s School in Salt Lake sung the Tagore song Tumi kemon kore gaan koro in Chinese translation, after having memorised the lyrics. The 11 students were from classes VI to XII. “We rehearsed over the weekend,” said their Chinese language teacher Sreeja Hazra. They even wore silk dresses with Chinese collars.
The Bharatanatyam recital of the mother-daughter duo of Jin Shan Shan and Wu Jong Xi also drew much applause. “I am learning from Leela Samson in Chennai since 1995. I have a dance school in Beijing. My daughter started learning at the age of five. Now she is my dance partner,” said the senior dancer turning to her junior. Both were dressed in matching saris. “We have many sets of similar outfits,” Wu, who calls herself Jessica, said with a smile. Santanu Roychoudhury also sang Hindi and English versions of Tagore songs — Jodi tor daak shune and Purano shei diner katha — while Souraja Tagore presented a dance recital. The programme ended with a vigorous lion dance by India Hong De, led by James Liao on the drum.
The guests, including a sizeable section of the Indian Chinese community from Chinatown, enjoyed a Chinese spread for dinner.
The bar drew connoisseurs of Moutai, a sorghum-based spirit that takes its name from a town in Guizhou province. Before tipping the shot glasses over, many were heard toasting “ganbei”, which is a call in Mandarin to dry the cup.