Sufism is one of the most read subjects in China: Professor Tang

Chinese professor says Pakistani and Chinese embassies are working together on publications

KARACHI: The fourth session of the 11th International Urdu Conference titled "Our Economic and Traditional Relations with China" was held on Saturday at the Arts Council of Pakistan. Tang Mang Shang, professor at the Beijing University, spoke about how literature connects students across borders. The session was moderated by Syed Ahmed Jaafar.

Tang thanked the Arts Council of Pakistan President Muhammad Ahmed Shah for organising the insightful event and said that before the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), only a few hundred students would go to China for higher education but recently there are more than 25,000 Pakistani students that are facilitated in different universities across China.

Answering a question about how many Pakistani students were translating the Chinese literature in Urdu, Tang said that many renowned novels have been translated into Chinese language including "Khuda Ki Basti", "Uddas Naslen" and the short stories of Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi.



"I have been writing a book on the Sufism of Pakistan and it is one of the most read books in China," said Tang adding that Pakistan and China embassies were working together on translations and publications. More than 600 Chinese students were getting education in Pakistan while Pakistani students in China were facilitated from Masters to PhD levels, according to Shang.

Tang discussed the differences between the Pakistani and Chinese culture and maintained that Urdu was a poetic language whereas Chinese wasn't hence building a bridge through culture, art and traditions were essential. He ended his speech by saying, "We wish we can play the role of a bridge between the culture of Pakistan and China." 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 25^th, 2018.