Poetry fair celebrates 100 years of Rabindranath Tagore's visit to China

The Centennial Lilac Poetry Fair, themed "Salute to the Masters, Celebrating Centuries of Poetry," began at Fayuan Temple in Xicheng District of Beijing on Wednesday, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore's visit to China.

Shen Haixiong, vice minister of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and president of China Media Group (CMG) presented the event. Joining him were renowned poet Shu Ting, Jidi Majia, director of the Poetry Committee of the China Writers Association, and Zhou Wenzhang, President of the Chinese Poetry Society, as they collectively launched the Lilac Poetry Fair: Global Chinese Poetry Collection.

Sun Shuo, Party Secretary of Xicheng district, made remarks at the fair, saying that one hundred years ago, Indian poet Tagore, along with Chinese poet and writer Xu Zhimo (1897–1931) and Chinese architect and writer Lin Huiyin (1904–1955), visited Fayuan Temple to admire the lilacs and talked about poetry, marking a memorable moment in Chinese and global literary history.

Today, hosting this poetry fair seeks to bring people together through flowers and verses, uniting us in a cultural gathering that transcends centuries, Sun said.

At the event, Xu Shanzeng, Xu Zhimo's descendant, recited one of his poems, immersing the audience in the poet's life from a century ago through his verses. Meanwhile, Surajit Tagore, a descendant of Tagore and a renowned Indian dancer, expressed herself through dance, thereby perpetuating the fine tradition of cultural exchanges between China and India.

The Fayuan Temple's Lilac Poetry Fair is a traditional cultural event that has been passed down since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) to this day, spanning centuries. Notable literary figures like Ji Xiaolan, Gu Tinglin, Gong Zizhen, and Lin Zexu have all been part of this historic tradition.