Mandarin: Bringing China-India closer

Sandeep Biswas is in love with the language and culture of China. [Photo provided to/chinadaily.com.cn]

Cheena Bhavana in Santiniketan, West Bengal, was the first Chinese institute in India established by the joint effort of Rabindranath Tagore and Tan Yunshan in 1937. It was set up to enhance Sino-India cultural exchanges.

In the beginning, many Chinese went to the institute to carry out research. The research material available in Cheena Bhavana library today is considered one of the best collections of antique books in India. Later on Mandarin was also introduced for Indian researchers. Thus the learning of Chinese language started in Cheena Bhavana. Unlike before, Mandarin has now become a hot cake, attracting students from all over India.

There are currently almost 10 universities in India where Chinese language is being taught. On average, every institute has more than 100 students. Apart from the students, the tourism industry in India is also encouraging staff to learn Mandarin. Chinese people mostly being monolingual face the language problem in India. Therefore tour guides who know the Chinese Language are in demand.