Rabindranath Tagore in China-Peking (contd-7)

Baron Stael Holstein was a Professor of Sanskrit in Peking University. He was the class-mate of Kshitimohan of the teacher of Gangadhar Sashtri of Banaras. Rabindranath visited his library with collection of pictures anf sculptures. Kshitimohan wrote to his wife, " Rabindranath too went there.. They were invited in a tea party in the house of English teacher Johnston of the king of China. He also saw many pictures, books and sculpture here. Kalidsa Nag wrote in his diary;
" In the afternoon we went to see a modern art exhibition where Rabindranath said a few words - they wanted to present some pictures - it was assumed."
It was eleven days more left for delivery of the lecture by Rabindranath arranged by  Peking Lecture Association. He passed this period in a beautiful guest house of Tsing Hua College situated on the bank of a nice lake at a distance of 10 miles from the city. The associates of Rabindranath went to visit some Institutions and some old museum.
On 29th April, Rabindranath was greeted in Tsin Hua College in a homely atmosphere.his lecture was published as a seventh lecture in Talks in China under the title " To Students at Tsing- Hua College, Peking". Addressing the students he said;
" I bless all of you being a senior persong than you.But he is envious upon them. In his childhood, he did not know the crossroad of thime when he was born. Now it is known to everybody. My question to you is this that how you will welcome this era.He has heard that they are materialists. They will not send their desire to any dreamland. If it be true, we must accept this fact and not try to fight against it. We must realize that this gift has been given to you and that out of it you can make your own contribution."
He can't imagine that a nation can prosper only with the help of materialist idea. Only to become materialist Sanghai or Tsing wil also be shaped in a odd manne as New York, London, Calcutta, Singapore, Hong kong  did. But every where in China there is no such scenery. A small shop at this place is looking beautiful
 with the touch of love in it. " Love gives beauty to everything it touches. Not greed and utility; they produce offices, but not dwelling houses.
But this emotional lecture was not appreciated by the Communist students. They also distributed some leaflets among the audience
In the Bauxer war some American property were damaged. These were again constructed with the chinese money. The syllabus of this university follows American way. The students here knows English better.
Rabindranath visited some damaged temple and delivered some lecture spontaneously. The students too had homely interaction with Rabindranath.
On 3rd May, in the evening the students of Tsing Hua College greeted Rabindranath.
    

Rabindranath Tagore in China - Peking (contd-6)

During the following years, Baron de Stael traveled widely and studied with the best oriental scholars in Germany, England and India.

He started his academic career in 1909 when he was appointed assistant professor of Sanskrit in the University of St. Petersburg and the member of the Russian Committee for the Exploration of Central and Eastern Asia. In 1912, he visited the US and lived in Harvard for some time to study Sanskrit.

He was in China when the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia broke out. The government of the new Estonian Republic, established in 1918 after the Versailles treaty, left him only a small part of his inherited estate. He then accepted an Estonian citizenship but remained in Beijing. With the recommendation of his friend Charles Eliot, the then principal of the University of Hong Kong, he was invited by Hu Shi to teach Sanskrit, Tibetan and History of Indian Religion in the Beijing University, as lecturer from 1918 to 1921 and as professor from 1922 to 1929. He helped set up the Sino-Indian Institute in Beijing in 1927. In 1928 he was a visiting scholar in Harvard, helping the Harvard-Yenching Institute to collect books. In 1932, he was selected an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of History and Philology (歷史語言研究所),

Rabindranath Tagore in China - Peking (contd-5)-1924

(The Temple of the Earth  in Beijing, China, is located in the northern part of central Beijing, around the Andingmen area and just outside of Beijing's second ring road. It is also located just a few hundred yards north of Yonghe Temple. At 42.7 hectares, it is the second largest of the four Temples of Beijing behind only the Temple of Heaven.It was built in 1530 during the Ming dynasty. Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasty dynasties would attend the annual summer solstice ritual of offerings to the heaven.Directly opposite it, at the other side of the city, is the Temple of Heaven in Chongwenmen, southern urban Beijing)
On April 28, in the afternoon at 3 PM, Rabindranath addressed 5 to 10 thousands people, most of them being students, from the dais 5ft high made by the King of China, named Temple of Earth. This was published in Talks of China [1924] - 6th lecture - titled To Scholars at the Temple of the Earth, Peking.
Here Rabindranath declared himself as a representative of Asia and urged emphatically, Once Asia liberated the people of the whole earth from its uncivilized state. Then came over a Dark Age, but nobody knows how it came. When the knocking of the door was started, we were not ready to welcome incoming Europe.They came not to exchange any wealth or property, they came to snatch away our wealth. We too could not face them as their match and approached them as a beggar at their doors.We are to get ourselves free from these weaknesses. Some persons think that we should imitate West, but he is not of the same opinion.Because it is not easy for the east to follow the temperament of the west.
" The West is becoming demoralized through being the exploiter, through tasting of the fruits of exploitation  - Physical power is not the strongest in the end. That power destroys itself . Machine guns and bomb dropping aeroplanes crush living men under them, and the west is sinking to its dust." We should not participate this competition of selfishness, or barbarism. 
When Rabindranath was delivering his lecture a group of young men was seen to distribute pamphlets among the audience. The same thing also happened in Nanking. On 24th April, Elmhirst wrote to Rathindranath, " There was an organised opposition at Nanking which produced pamphlets criticising Gurudev's attitude on pacifism, to militarism, industrialism and and the spiritual life."  

Rabindtranath Tagore in China- Peking (contd-4)

On 27th April, Rabindranath with his party started for the Forbidden City to the dethroned king of China. In 1911 when China became Repubilic the six year old King Puyee of Manchu dynasty was removed from the power and kept under confinement.  An English  home tutor named Rejinald Jonston was appointed for him. He gave him the name Henry.For that he was known as ex-king Henry Puyee.  This learned man took the initiative of inviting Rabindranath and his party.
It was about one mile from gate to the palace. They had arranged two well decorated sedan-chair, one for Rabindranath and the other for his twocompanion Grechen Green and Miss Phyllis Lin. The rest of his company went by foot. Rabindranath offered his two female accompaniment lucky conchs as amemento. The rest too offered the king different gifts. The also offered Rabindranatha costly Budhists Statue and a trapistry.
In the evening the intellectuals of Peking offered a dinner to Rabindranath and his party in Navy Club. The learned persons like Liang Chi chao, Lin Chang Min and Fun Yuan Lian, Dr Hu Shi were present on the occasionMr. Lin in his Welcoming address said that they were not welcoming Rabindranath as a sageor Reformer. They took him as a great revolutionary poet. It is their bad luck that they could not come across his original works, still his poetry played an effective role to reconstruct the structure of their verses. " We cannot tell him how moved and touched we are by his presence.His appearance , his eyes, his deportment, his beard, his clothes - everything about him is poetic.He is in fact poetry itself . We hope our poet will give us strength, courage, and audacity. We hope that he will reveal to us the reality of truth, the beauty of moral courage and sacrifice. "
In reply to this welcoming address Rabindranath said;
" We try to find our own country even going to a foreign one and we see it in the surplus of the emotions of  the people of that country. Lin said that the Chinese literature is tied in old coverage - similarly, the literature of his country was bound by the classical Sanskrit literature  and was only approachable to a few learned persons.At the same time a folk literature for the illiterate villagers was circulated parallel amongst the local people. The writer of the classical literature usually collected their ingredients and inspiration from those literature. Those local languages was gradually changing without keeping any sample of it.
But some local dialect  gradually changed to  a higher level to give rise to literature.Here is Mr Kshitomohan Sen who always practiced   medievel period Indian Literature and capable of informing you about the omprovement of liture from the 13th to 16th century. He has come to know that literature with his help. and " I was amazed to discover how modern thy wer, how full of genuine and earnest feelimg of life and beauty. All true things are ever modern and can never become obsolete."
In this long speech he described nicely the nature and sources of his literature. He pointed out something new which he did not mention anywhere earlier.His attempt to read Dante, to translate Hyne from its original writings by knowing German language, the failure of reading Foust of Gette etc were only expressed in this lecture.His role in writing songs and literature were marked as revolutionary. Lastly he said with pride;
" Please donot think I am vain. I can judge myself  objectively and can openly express admiration for my own work, because I am modest. I donot hesitate to say that my songs have found their place in the heart of my land, along with her flowers that are never exhausted, and that the folk of the future, in days of joy or sorrow or festival, will have to sing them. This too is the work of a revolutionist."   

Rabindranath Tagore in China-Peking (contd-3)-1924

About thousand students of the National University, Normal University, and of different Govt.Colleges assembled in the auditorium of the National University to listen the lecture delivered by Rabindranath on 26th April in the afternoon Rabindranath came one  hour late because he went to attend a ceremony in Budhist temple. Liang Chi Chao ( Liang Qichao was a Chinese scholar, journalist, philosopher, and reformist during the late Qing Dynasty and early Chinese Republic who inspired Chinese scholars with his writings and reform movements) read the essay narrated by Rabindranath on the last day. Rabindranath emphatically said that a good number persons were against his visit to China 'because it might check your special modern enthusiasm for western progress and force. But he remarked with caution  that those who wanted to build their nation on the basis of material strength, they do not know the history of human civilization. The strength based only on materialism and those who  depended on that strength, they had  either been destroyed or remained in the dark. On the other hand, those who have mixed up their intellect with their physical strength and acquired the mechanical strength, they have understood that it is necessary to develop spiritual power simultaneously with the development of scientific discoveries. Otherwise, the material strength will reign over the human beings.Many have pointed out mentioning their weaknesses that they have to develop their mechanical strength to protect themselves.Rabindranath cited an example enunciating a translated version in English of a sloka from Manusangita."
 In many meetings of Rabindranath Tagore, the  Chinese youths mentioned him as a representative of a defeated country and cried shame on him.In this meeting, Rabindranath, admitting  this statement said;
" I am ready to accept weakness and insult and oppression of the body, but I will never acknowledge the defeat, the last insult, the utter ruin, of my spirit being conquered, so that I am made to lose my faith and purpose. My enemies may dominate and slay my body, but they cannot make me adopt their methods , or hate them.. The devil helps in the sphere in which he is master, but we must reject such aid to save our life from utter destruction . Seek righteousness even though success be lost."
This lecture delivered by Rabindranath had positive effect on the youths of the China. Elmhirst wrote;
" The scholars and literary men of the Renaissance Movement in Peking were a little sceptical about the poet's philosophy and were not quite sure whether in his enthusiasm for old China he would not be somewhat of a reactionary. His first talk to them has completely won their hearts and minds. They found that he had all the time been as  much of a reactionary in the field of letters , as any of them."
The lecture of Rabindranath was printed in Talks in China [1924] .                    

Rabindranath Tagore in China - Peking (contd -2)-1924

About fifty specially learned and dignified renowned persons greeted Rabindranath in Throne hall on 25th April,1924 and met with him in a tea party.Once in this Hall the King of China met the foreign ambassador in this hall. The President of Peking Lecturer Associaion Liang Qichaoin a long speech describing the old relations between the two countries India and China, he said; " The coming of Rabindranath Tagore will, I hope, mark the beginning of an important period of History.If  we can avail of this occasion to renew the intimate relationship which we had with India  and to establish a really constructive scheme of cooperation, then our welcome to Rabindranath Tagore will have real significance."

(Liang Qichao was a Chinese scholar, journalist, philosopher, and reformist during the late Qing Dynasty and early Chinese Republic who inspired Chinese scholars with his writings and reform movements.)
His speech was written earlier and was added as an introduction to
 " Talks In China"
In reply to the welcome address Rabindranath said, " For many centuries many scholarly persons from  our country me to China. But he has come here as a representative of the culture of the past and present of his country. In this changing situation the intermixing of the  cultures of two countries." Kalidas Nag wrote, " In reply to the welcome address Rabindranath replied with proper politeness, "I have come here to bind ties of the two countries with love - let the two oldest countries unite in spiritual bondness. I have come here  as a representative of our country to invite you - now my dream has been fulfilled."
On 26th April, Rabindranath was greeted in the flower gardenof Lailak of a old Budhist temple. He addressed the young Budhist here. This was described by Kalidas Nag in an essay titled " Rabindranath Tagore's Viswabharati Mission;
"The poet and his party were welcomed by the priests of Fa-yuan-ssu, one of thge oldest temples of Peking. Here under the little trees tagore addressed the priests and the members of the youngbMen's Budhist Association. The temple bell sounded its rich music and the poet also in his wonderfully musical voice expatiated on the deathless doctrine of"   maitri - universal love , like a budhist saint of yore. "
The lecture was printed in " Talks in China [1924] under the title At a Budhist Temple , Peking."
While attending the lunch offered by Anglo-American Association, he said mentioning the name of a person present in the lunch;
" Whenheheard me talk of the mission of co-operationand conciliation which I had in my heart, this man said that China was the one place where I would find good soil for the seed of ideals I had come to sow."          

Rabindranath Tagore in China - Peking (contd - 1)

After coming to Peking Rabindranath and his party get their accommodation in the Grand Hotel of Peking. Kshitimohan wrote his wife Kiranbala ;
" We have come to Peking on 23rd April and got our accommodation in the biggest hotel. we stayed there from 23rd to 25th April and on 26th April myself, Nanda Babu and Kalidas Babu left the Peking Hotel. Now we three are staying the house of a business man of Ceylon, Mr. Lethumal.Gurudev and Elmhirst left the hotel on 28th April and took rent of some rooms in a peaceful hotel. Fresh Euopean meals were available there. "
Rabindranath was taking rest in the hotel. Excepting some interview he had no work.
On 25th April, Rabindranath offered a lunch by Anglo-American Association in Grand Hotel des agons Lits at 12.30 PM. Rabindranath delivered his first lecture here addressing the public. The meeting was presided by the President of the Association, Sir Francis Aglen but he had given the responsibility of introducing Rabindranath to his previously known Dr. Jacob Gould Schurman. In reply to the introduction given by Dr. Jacob Rabindranath narrated his experience as a founder of an Institution and as a trans later of his poems and lyrics in English. He said  when he had gone to England he had in contact with some greatman of England and got their friendship.and " when I dropped in Japan on the way to America in 1916, I realized for the first time...the terrible suffering with which the whole world was afflicted . I saw in Japan the war trophies taken from China publicly exhibited ...I felt humiliatied in my own mind at this primitive and brutal perpetuation of the defeat of an enemy... Nationalism, therefore, seemed to me to be pure barbarism, based on pride, greed and lust for power, with wealth dominating the disease, and I shuddered when I saw the result." Having gone to Europe he received enough greetings after the WWI and he felt, " the nations of the West were looking for for some new ideal from the east which would reconstruct their civilisation on a better basis."  He created Viswabharati University with this ideal.       

Rabindranath Tagore in China-Nanking - 1924

Rabindranath met  military commanders  of Kiangsu, Kiangsi etc three provinces. Kalidas Nag had taken notes of their discussions. Rabindranath said;
" I feel deep regards and concern about China - I have become much pleased to express my sentiments in this regard - from ancient times China bears idealism of civilisation - which is based on peace - a precious treasure of human being. The brutal activities of modern civilisation is going to destroy this. I have come here to remind you about this because India feels China as its near relatives. India looking for China eagerly when the country will again establish itself before the universe on its own ideals and on its own civilisation. The peace loving China will show the new ideals - after solving  its own problems."
The lecture of Rabindranath titled " To Students at Nanking" was published in Talks in China[1924] . He said, " Today the human soul is lying captive in the dungeon of Great Machine, and I ask you, my young princes, to feel this enthusiasm in your hearts and to be willing to rescue the human soul from the grip of greed which keeps it chained." On 21st April, in the morning  Rabindranath with his party started for Peking by a luxury train Blue Express. The militant ruler of Nanking had arranged a special saloon car with the train.
On the way Rabindranath got down from the train and offered flowers to the grave of Confucious.
            On 22nd April, they took a break journey at Tsinan, the capital of Santung.
In the evening Rabindranath delivered a lecture at Provincial Assembly Hall. But it was so crowdy that the venue had to be shifted to open courtyard. The subject of his lecture was "Materialism and the Spiritual life."     On 23rd April in the evening at 7.15 PM the train reached Chien Men station of Peking.Having reached the station a huge gathering of the students and intellectuals greeted him by crackers and rains of flowers. Amongst the gathering there were retired politicician Lin Chiang Min and acting Vice-Chancellor of Peking University Dr.Chiang Mon Lin.
Before this President of Association of Lecturers of Peking, Liang Chi Chou came to the train and greeted Rabindranath and had talks through this train of 75 miles. Some local Persian people and Business man of hemp garlanded him. At last all of them was taken to Grand Hotel of Peking. North China Standard wrote on 25th April;
" No events in the recent years has aroused so much interest in Chinese intellectual circles as the visit of Rabindranath Tagore. Many men have come to China and gone yet none of them has been so enthusiastically received.What is the explanation ? It is because Dr. Tagore belongs to the East and in honouring him the chinese intellectuals are honouring the civilisation of the East. What is more, Dr. Tagore has come with a message which cannot fail to make a powerful appeal to both Young China and Old China. Young China has often be criticised because of its attempt to transplant Western civilisation into Chinese  soil, root and branch. The criticism was certainly justified a few years ago; but since then there has been unmistakable evidence that Young China is beginning to turn from the materialism of the West to the culture of their forefathers for spiritual relief. On the other hand, the will of Young China to examine the teachings of their forefathers in the light of the civilisation of the West, will be reinforced by the words of Mr. Tagore. In this way there will be soon brought about a reconcillation between Young Chinaand Old China, and if this turns out to be the ultimateresult of Dr. Tagore's visit to this country, he will have rendered a great service to the cause of Chinese civiliusation." 
   

Rabindranath Tagore in China-Peking-1924

On 19th April, in the morning at 8AM, Rabindranath left Sanghai and started for Peking through Yangshee river. On the way Rabindranath discussed with his associates about the future politics of Asia. Kalidas Nag wrote this valuable discussion in his diary;
" It is known by many that the strength of China is its population as in India. Russia may have begun to speculate on the basis of this. So we have to move carefully. Though the condition of India as well as Asia is same. Two gigantic power has grown up - one, old world exploitation and newly developed Bolsevik terrorism. Secondly, violence would be done in two ways......."
It was not very easy to know the social condition of Soviet Russia by crossing the net work of obstruction of Imperialism. It was unbelievable that the information gathered by Rabindranathin International politics and the reactions of this politics on other countries..
On 20th April they reached Nanking by steamer and got in the River Bridge Hotel...   

Rabindranath Tagore in China - Sanghai (contd-3)-1924

Rabindranath was greeted in the afternoon by the local institutions and cultural organisations in the community Hall of the largest publishing house on the Pooshan Road presided by C.C,Nieh. The felicitation paper was read by The President, Mr. Sung of Educational Association of Kingsu Province. There were present more than 1200 persons in the meeting. This meeting was arranged by 25 citizens and cultural organisations of the City. Stephen Hey wrote the gist of the meeting in News Paper.
After the meeting Rabindranath was brought to a non-vegetarian restaurant, Kung Teh Lin to get a dinner with theimportant persons of Sanghai. Chinese song was sung there. after the dinner they were entertained by an ancient Chinese Drama in Tai-i-tai hall.
    

Rabindranath Tagore in China (Sanghai) - contd-2

Rabindranath returned to Sanghai on 17th April. Some  Japanese residing  in Sanghai gave a reception to Rabindranath at a Japanese school in North Szechwan Road. The reply made by Rabindranath was taken down by Elmhistand printed with the title " Talks in China [1924]. He quoted from memory the incident of his visit to Japan in 1916;
" I had some glimpses of also of political Japan that was intent upon profit making and augmenting political power -- rigid, exclusive, suspicious, lacking in humanity." For this Japan was not solely responsible. --" Power is rampant in the human world to-day, the power of money, of machine guns and of bomb-dropping aeroplanes , and the primitive in us stands once more, in awe of that which is neither spiritual nor moral."  
Many in the audience could not appreciate the censor of the mechanical strength of the West.The Peking Leader criticized the statement of Rabindranath Tagore.
Biographer of Rabindranath wrote;
" Rabindranath was greeted on another day by a Jewish-Sangha in the house of Mr. Kdoorie. This incident was reported in Viswabharati Bulletin  of Viswabharati Quarterly, Oct 1924 titled "Address to Rabindranath on behalf of the Jewish Community in China". Kadoorie himself was a poet. In welcoming Rabindramnath he said, "A few years back, he wrote a Kabya-Grantha titled  The Wedding of Death, the critics after reading the book said that Rabindranath's ideas had been reflected in the book. 'This immediately aroused my great interest. Thanks to Dr. Tagore, an inspired vision of a new world was put before my eyes.'. " He contributed Rs. 12,000/- only to Viswabharati for fighting out scarcity of water.      

Rabindranath Tagore in China - Hangchow -1924

 Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China.

Rabindranath got an invitation from Hangchow. Rabindranath started for this city by train at a distance of 110 miles accompanied by his interpreter Xu Zhimo and his accompaniment. Kalidas Nag wrote ;
" In Bengali new years day every one bowed down before Rabindranath and started in the train at 8 AM. for Hangchow and reaches at 12 o'clock. "
The beauty of the lake view here was wellknown to everybody and they were accomodated in a hotel on the bank of a lake. On the next day, the associates of Rabindranath went to a near by hill to see a Budhist Temple.It is said that an Indian  monk named Bodhignan or Huily.In a meeting on 16th April in the evening in the hall arranged by Provincial Educational Society being pact up with thousand students, Rabindranath said about that Budhist Monk;
" He also came here as a representative to convey the message of my predecessor. That monk came here, saw a hill and commented that the Grhdhakut hill has came here by flying
- this scenery reminds him.He also have the same feeling to see the hills and trees here. Our difference is only of language. This difference can be removed by sincere attempt. He knows that thge students here cannot follow him but still they have come master strong. "
"It is not because you expect any message from me, but, as I believe, because of some memory of that glorious time when India did send her messengers of love to this land, - not her merchants nor her soldiers , but the best of her children,  -- and they came bearing her gifts across deserts and seas."
I have come here not for trade, not for power, we wang to reach the heart of our friends to remote country. Due to science distance has become  narrower and in that case we form a crowd, but not a community.  ..."
Spephen Hey informed;
" Inspite of heavy rain the students came in numbers to make the hall completely filled up and they cheered up Tagore several times on hearing the translation of Xu Zhimo. After this programme Rabindranath and his party attend a tea party with the local intellectuals. The senior most  poet of this locality, Ch'en San-li,  became moved at the introduction with Rabindranath.
      

Rabindranath Tagore in China-Sanghai(contd-1) - 1924

The first day, on 14.4.1924, Rabindranath was in Shanghai. There was a proposal between China and Viswabharati to exchange professors and students between China and Viswabharati in which Rabindranath was much encouraged. he wrote that to Rathindranath;
" We are getting warm reception here. I think we can establish a good relation with them.it is required that Mr. Sashtri should be sent here. They have become much pleased to know our proposal. they also agreed to send visiting professor to Viswabharati. It will help our students to learn Chinese.The Sanskrit books that were lost in China will now be translated in our language.You should discuss with Birla brothers about this from now on. It is only Sashtri who can help in this matter. In Peking there is a Russian Pandit knowing Sanskrit. So any ordinary person will not have any access here."
Raja Baldeo das Birla contributed Rs 20,000/- to Viswabharati for construction of a Guest house for Foreign students.Mentioning that decision Rabindranath wrote to Rathindranath;
" we had to do another work, there should not be any delay in constructing the Birla Guest Hiouse. If the students going from this place face difficulties after going there, our reputation will be damaged."
But this Guest House had never been constructed. 

Rabindranath Tagore in China - Sanghai - 1924

The ship started for Sanghai  in the night leaving Hong Kong.on 8th April.( Shanghai is the largest city by population in the People's Republic of China(PRC) and the largest city proper by population in the world. It is one of the fourprovince-level municipalities of the PRC, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010. It is a global city, with influence in commerce, culture, finance, media, fashion, technology, and transport. It is a major financial center and the busiest container port in the world.)
Kalidas Nag had a contact  with "Bangabani" to supply details about this journey titled "Puber Chithi". He wrote in his diary on 10th April;
"  Today I wrote for "Bangabani" the whole day  from beginning   to Rangoon". He wrote on next day, 
"  In the afternoon I went to Gurudev for offering him some fruits and discussed in details about his sketch and Rhymes and Rythms. Here the term "sketch" is more important because after writing a poem he used to pen through some lines and such cutting of lines would make somepictures. This was described in his manuscript of Kabyagrantha, "Purabi" in which he had drawn peculiar looking some animals..
The ship reached Shanghai port on 12th April,1924. The jetty was completely filled up with the people of different community and their representatives. The poet Tsemon Hsu and Dean of the National Institute of Self- Government S.Y. Ch'u and many important persons came to the ship to welcome Rabindranath.Kalidas Nag wrote about Ch'u, " The man is contempletive quiet in nature - he has leanings towards philosophy - read Upanishad, and translator of Vhitra, Raja, and Phalguni. He became pleased ." Tsemon Hsu acted as interpreter of Rabindranath through out China.Rabindranath commented about him ;
" He is my friend , and translated my lecture from English to Chnese. He is tall and of serene appearence, which is rare in China.. I was moved by loking his serene appearence.The people greeted  him  with the slogan "Bandrmataram" .In the afternoon they were taken for sight seeing outside the city.On 13th april in the morning a wealthy jew Mr. Hardoon invited them to his garden house. He became a life-member of Viswabharati Sammilani.
During day time Rabindranath was greeted by the local Sikh  and Hindu community.
They went to see the co-researcher of Rudolf Eucken , Dr. Cursun Chung.       

Rabindranath Tagore in China- Hong Kong

Rabindranath and his party reached Hong Kong on 7th April. Though Hog Kong is within China but it was a colony and trade centre of British. He was greeted by the Vice-Principal W.W.Hornell of the newly established Hong Kong University at the seaport. The regitrar of the University N.k.Mackintosh, father ans song, senior and junior J,H,Rustomjee, Mr. Nemazi, Bishen Singh etc were present as a representative of Indian Community. The former D.P.I. of Bengal Hornel was known to Rabindranath. He proposed Rabindranath to become his guest. But the proposal of Indians was accepted and he was sent to  Repulse Bay Hotel in a solitary place outside the city and the Persian Business man Nimajee became host of the others.
As soon as Rabindranath landed in Hong Kong, requests from nearby places were coming to him to visit there places. The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Amoy Dr, Lim Bong Keng invited to come to the University and deliver a lecture. He also proposed to open a post of a Professor and start a department of Indian History and Culture in that University. 
The most important invitation came from the President of Republic of China, Sun Yat-Sen [1866-1925];
" Dear Mr.Tagore / I should greatly wish to have the privillege of personally welcoming you on your arrival in China. It is an ancient way of ours to show honor to the scholar. But in you I shall greet not only a writer who has added lusture to Indian letters but a rare worker in those field of endeavour where in lie the seeds of man's future welfare and spiritual trium and spiritual triumps.
May I then have the pleasure of inviting you to Canton ?"
But Rabindranath could not attain the invitation.
Rabindranath got many invitations from different institutions and Hong Kong University. But he didnot participate in any of the programme.
Before leaving Hong Kong the Sikh community arranged a music Sandhya of Bhajan for Rabindranath and his associates  

Rabindranath Tagore to China - Singapore(contd-12)

The ship "Ethiopia" was to reach Singapore in the morning of 2nd April, 1924 but reached one hour late at

 9 PM. But the citizens and the members of reception committee had reached the Jetty prior to the arrival of the ship. The secretary, Mr. L.G. Cranna.greeted Rabindranath and said,  " the citizens of Singapore was feeling sorry for missing your company for a longer period due to your busy schedule." A painter, Low Kway Song , offered Rabindranath an oil painted  portrait drawn by him. .
Granville Roberts offered him a copy of the book, " One hundred years of the Chinese in Singapore" written by Song Oug Siang.
Kalidas Nag wrote, " the Indian friends of different sects took us to a resting place. They arranged a fine                                      (Thai Temple by Low Kway Song. Year: 1923. Medium: Oil on canvas  ) house of a rich man Mr. Dawood of Bombay, for taking rest by Rabindranath Tagore.  " They also arranged  their lunch in this house.
From Singapore Rabindranath took another ship "Atsuta Maru" to go to Japan leaving "Ethiopia".
On 7th April Rabindranath wrote to Pratima Devi,
" Today we have reached near to Hong Kong. but weather is very rough.The journey was good otherwise.The ocean was calm and quiet....."
The sea waves had caused some trouble to Kshiti Babu, Nandalal and Kalidas Nag.
The ship reached Hong Kong at 10 PM in the night.

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Rabindranath Tagore to China ( Kual lumpur)- contd-11

Sweetenham
Arrangements had been made to welcome Rabindranath Tagore at Kulalumpur .
On 31st March the ship reached the sea port and some members of the reception committee helped Rabindranath and his associates to get down from the ship and took them to the house of Mr. Ramaswami at a distance of about 30 miles.  Arrangemnts were made to welcome by Dr. Paresh nath Sen , Mr. Kumarswami, Mr. H.N.ferrars etc to welcom Rabindranath and in the ceremony a promise to contribute fund for Viswabharati was made.They took their dinner at the house of Mr. Pareshnath  and returned to the ship to start for Singapore at 7 PM.WhenRabindranath left for China from Bengal there was drought but became pleased to see heavy rain here. He wrote the incident to Ranu.Elmhirst wrote to Rabindranath,
" the people of Malaya became anxious about Viswabharati and had already began collecting fund for Viswabharati.The people here are rich for the business in Rubber and Tin and there are scope to earn more. He requested Rathindranath to send rules and regulations of Viswabharati, ordinary and life membership forms and forms for quarterly subscriber of the magazine of Viswabharati.
Rabindranath became busy in writing lecture notes for China. He was bout to complete three and he had to complete another three lecture notes.El mhirst wrote;
" Gurudev has advanced well with his third lecture, in I believe he is sketching his ideal of Dharna. I have just finished typing the second one ... Inspite of lack of convenient writing place Gurudev works hard
nearly all day sitting proppefd at on his bank, & is full of fun at meal times."
Elmhirst sent a tentative programme on 12th April to Rathindranath which was published in Viswabharati.
Our programme works out something like this;
Peking - April 1922, May16 then to Shansi, Hankow
Shanghai - May 28 , Leave for Japan
Hongkong - June 21, Canton, Saigon
Bangkok - July 8
Singapore- July 22
Java - July 26 - Aug 10
Rangoon - Aug 15
Calcutta - Aug 18
Ofcourse this is all provisional but we must not risk the typhoon season of July and I think in this way we shall escape easily and fit everything  in.
This programme was not materialised.