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."
" 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."
