Bust of Rabindranath Tagore unveiled at Indian Embassy in Beijing

BEIJING: A bust of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore carved by the famous Chinese sculptor Yuan Xikun was unveiled at the Indian Embassy here.

The sculpture was unveiled on the sidelines of a symposium titled Sangamam—A Confluence of Indian Philosophical Traditions, organised by the Embassy on Saturday.

Unveiling the bust, Indian Ambassador to China Pradeep Rawat said Tagore’s visit to China a century ago was a milestone in our civilisational dialogue.

Tagore's message of universal humanism and his friendship with Chinese scholars such as Xu Zhimo and Liang Qichao continues to inspire both nations, Rawat said.

Yuan, an acclaimed sculptor, has also sculpted a Gandhi statue with the Mahatma sitting in a unique sitting posture with a book in his hand.

The statue was installed in 2005 at the picturesque Chaoyang park where the Indian Embassy celebrates Gandhi Jayanti every year.

Yuan is also the longtime curator of the famous Jin Tai Art Museum located in Chaoyang Park.

Tagore, who had visited China thrice during his lifetime, has a fanatical following in China, with several devoting their lives to learn Bengali and English to translate his works.

Tagore, along with India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, had figured in the list of 50 foreigners who contributed most in shaping China’s modern development in an opinion poll in 2009 to mark the 60th anniversary celebrations of China.