Cheena Bhavana
চীনা ভবন
India's first Chinese studies centre, founded in 1937 by Tan Yunshan with Tagore. The building preserves murals by Nandalal Bose and his students, and Xu Beihong once painted here.
Cheena Bhavana is a testament to the cultural bond between China and India that began after Tagore visited China in 1924. Founded in 1937 by Chinese scholar Tan Yunshan with Tagore's support, it was India's first Chinese studies centre, and it still teaches Chinese language and China studies today. In 1939-1940, Xu Beihong was invited here to lecture and paint, producing works including The Foolish Old Man Who Removed the Mountains. In 1957, Premier Zhou Enlai visited Visva-Bharati University and also came here. The main hall contains murals by Nandalal Bose and his students, and the collection includes many classical Chinese books. It is a very meaningful stop for Chinese visitors. Visit during opening hours, and ask the staff or a campus guide whether you can enter the interior.
Opening hours
Follows campus visiting hours; closed Wednesdays
Nearby sights
- Visva-Bharati Ashram Area
- Kala Bhavana
- Uttarayan Complex & Rabindra Bhavana
- Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary
- Srijani Shilpagram
- Sonajhuri Haat
- Sriniketan
- Amar Kutir