The opening of the XuFancheng Culture Study Center

( 1st Forum on Chinese Culture and India-China Cultural Relations )

Oct 26th – 2020

Occasssion : – 111th birth anniversary of Prof. XuFancheng and 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic and cultural relations between India and China.

” Honoring the cultural legacy of Xu Fancheng: The opening of the XuFancheng Culture Study Center.”

Xu Fancheng Culture Study Center is a cultural research and study center that is dedicated to the study of the life and work of Prof. Xu Fancheng, the Chinese translator and scholar who studied and translated ancient Indian texts. It is a non-profitable research organization whose main focus is to promote the study and understanding of the cultural heritage of India and China. The center aims to provide a platform for scholars, students, and the general public to engage with the diverse cultural traditions of both countries. Opening ceremony of the Xu Fancheng Culture Study Center marks the official inauguration of the center by the Chinese Ambassador to India H.E Sun Weidong , Shri V. Narayanasamy, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Pondicherry, and Shri K. Lakshminarayanan.

Keynote Speakers

Chinese Ambassador to India, H.E. Sun Weidong. ( Chinese Ambassador to India, H.E. Sun Weidong attended the event online and delivered a speech. )
Shri V. Narayanasamy, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Pondicherry,
Shri K. Lakshminarayanan, Parliamentary Secretary to Chief Minister of Pondicherry.

Chief Minister of Pondicherry, Shri V. Narayanasamy congratulated the inauguration of the XuFancheng Culture Study Center. He recalled his visits to China and mentioned it was a great honor to attend today’s event on the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and China and the 111th birthday Anniversary of Xu Fancheng. He told that Pondicherry has unique cultural and tourism resources, and its economic development and education level are among the highest in India. Pondicherry is currently attracting foreign investment, actively building smart cities, and focusing on the development of tourism. He believed that with the establishment of the XuFancheng Culture Study Center, there will be more Chinese companies and tourists coming to Pondicherry, which will add new impetus to Pondicherry’s economic development and India-China relations.

Ambassador Sun Weidong expressed his sincere congratulations on the inauguration of Xu Fancheng Culture Study Center in the speech. Prof. Xu systematically translated classic Indian philosophical works such as “Bhagavad Gita” and “Fifty Upanishads”. He also introduced the great Indian thinker Aurobindo to China. He taught Chinese culture in India for a long time, and translated a large number of Chinese classics into English, which opened an important window for people in India and around the world to understand China. It is hoped that the center can inherit and carry forward the spirit of Prof. Xu Fancheng’s rigorous scholarship, introduce his life and research results to the two peoples, enhance the cultural and academic exchanges between China and India, and let the seeds sown by Prof. Xu Fancheng blossom and bear fruits in the new century. Ambassador Sun Weidong pointed out that cultural and people-to-people exchanges are a major pillar of China-India relations. Since modern times, China and India have supported and helped each other in pursuit of national independence and liberation. Together with the sages such as Rabindranath Tagore, Mr. Tan Yunshan, Mr. Xu Beihong, Prof. Xu Fancheng drew a splendid chapter of China-India cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Friendship between the peoples is the solid foundation of bilateral relations. No matter how the external situation changes, the friendly exchanges between our two peoples have never been stopped. In the future, we should hold more such events to set up platforms for exchanges between our two peoples and enhance mutual respect, understanding and trust. We should encourage the young people of our two countries to carry on the fine traditions of the older generation, and contribute more wisdom and vitality to enhancing the friendship between our two peoples and promoting exchanges and cooperation in various fields. Ambassador Sun emphasized that local exchanges are an important driving force for the development of bilateral relations. Pondicherry is an example of Indian multiculturalism where East meets West, and people of different nationalities and faiths live in harmony. Dali is also a beautiful and livable tourist city with rich cultural resources. Dali and Pondicherry can conduct more exchanges and cooperation in fields such as education, culture, tourism and urban governance to promote common development.

At the ceremony, Ambassador Sun Weidong and Chief Minister Shri V. Narayanasamy unveiled the “Essays in Memory of Prof. Xu Fancheng”, and had interaction on the promotion of exchanges and cooperation between China and Pondicherry. Ambassador Sun said that as two large developing countries and emerging economies with a population of more than 1 billion, China and India have great potential for cooperation in various fields. Under the guidance of the important consensus reached by the two leaders, the two sides should promote practical cooperation to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results. The Chinese Embassy in India will continue to support the development of pragmatic cooperation between Pondicherry and Dali in the fields of culture, education, tourism, and trade.

Honorable Guest Speakers :

Mr. Yang Xibin, Director, Foreign Affairs Office of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture.
Prof. Zhang Rumei, Professor of Dali University, the Director of the International Exchange and Cooperation Division of Dali University
Dr. Ajeet Jaiswal, Professor in Anthropology, Pondicherry University
Prof. Ram Mohan Singh – Department of Physical Education and Sports, School of Humanities, Pondicherry University.
Dr. Bimal Kumar – (Former Principal and Secretary of Nine girls high school college, West-Bengal )
Dr. Gopalan Seshadri – ( Former Prof. at Southern Medical Univ and Dali University China )

HONORARY GUESTS –

Mr. Peng Shaoyun, Deputy Secretary General of Yunnan Provincial Peoples association for friendship with foreign countries.
Mr. Zhuang Haibo – Deputy Director, Zhoushan Foreign Affairs Office, Zhejiang, P.R.China