Tan Yun-Shan
He graduated from Hunan Teachers College at Changsha and then went for post-graduate and advanced studies in both Chinese and western systems.
In 1927, he met Rabindranath Tagore in Singapore, who invited him to join the teaching staff at Santiniketan.
He soon realised that his work required a separate hall/ building but Visva Bharati, then a private institution, was short of funds.
Nandalal Bose, Benode Behari Mukherjee and others from Kala Bhavana adorned the hall with frescoes and reliefs.
On 14 April 1937, Cheena Bhavana, the first institute of its kind in India, was formally inaugurated by Indira Gandhi.
However, in view of Visva Bharati's grim financial situation Tan refused to take a salary, but the Chinese government provided him an honorarium.
Mahatma Gandhi, in his message to Tagore said: "May the Chinese Hall be a symbol of living contact between China and India".
Xu Beihong, a leading artist, came to Santiniketan and spent an year as visiting professor of Chinese fine arts.
In 1939, at the initiative of Tan, the Sino-Indian Cultural Society organised Jawaharlal Nehru’s visit to China.
They were pleased with the progress of the institution that had already received financial support from China and announced a further donation of Rs.
Teaching of Chinese language continued but research in Buddhist texts were neglected, which disturbed Tan.
In 1962, when Nehru mentioned the Sino-Indian War in his convocation address at Santiniketan, Tan wept openly.
[1] Tan started working on his new project for the establishment of the World Buddhist Academy at Bodh Gaya.
[1] The Visva Bharati website writes, "With his remarkably civilised disposition this modest, meticulous and dedicated scholar was universally respected for the tireless and silent contribution in giving shape to Rabindranath's ideal of Visva-Bharati.
Tan Yun-Shan will be remembered by the world for his pioneering efforts in re-building the ancient cultural relationship between the civilisations of China and India in modem times.
