Ivo Andrić in China (1956): A Bridge of Words Between Two Worlds

In 1956, Ivo Andrić embarked on a month-long cultural journey to China, marking a powerful moment of East-West literary exchange. His visit—prompted by the commemoration of Chinese literary giant Lu Xun—led to a moving encounter with Serbian literature abroad, and inspired the Nobel laureate to reflect on the unifying force of the written word. Through a letter from Beijing and his essay “Encounter in China,” Andrić captured the timeless connection between distant cultures, now preserved as part of his enduring legacy.

In 1956, Ivo Andrić, already the most important living writer in Yugoslav literature and a future Nobel laureate, visited the People’s Republic of China as part of a cultural delegation. The occasion was the twentieth anniversary of the death of the renowned Chinese writer and reformer Lu Xun—considered the father of modern Chinese literature.

Andrić’s visit to China lasted about a month, during which he stayed in Beijing and Shanghai. For him, this encounter with the Far East was much more than a protocol visit. It was, as he would later write, a “meeting through words”—a meeting of cultures, ideals, and literary spirits that, though distant, were deeply connected by the universal language of art.

In the museum dedicated to Lu Xun in Beijing, Andrić discovered a book by the Serbian writer Laza Lazarević. That moment moved him deeply and inspired him to write a short essay titled “Encounter in China,” in which he emphasized the power of the written word as a bridge that connects people, cultures, and epochs.

Lu Xun Musuem in Beijing (Wikipedia / Public Domain)

It is also recorded that Andrić wrote a letter from Beijing to Milica Babić (then Jovanović), his longtime friend and later wife. The letter, beginning with the words “Dear friend…,” was written in Cyrillic and reflects his impressions of China, along with a note about a porcelain Buddha—a symbol of contemplation and silence.

Ivo Andrić and Milica Babić Andrić (Wikipedia.org/Stevan_Kragujević page, with the permission of Tanja Kragujević

Although rarely mentioned in official biographies, this visit to China reveals the breadth of Andrić’s spirit and his deep interest in universal themes: suffering, dignity, and the quiet achievement of understanding through art.

Serbian Cultural Center Ivo Andrić in Beijing (Embassy of Serbia in Beijing)

Today, the letter from Beijing and the text “Encounter in China” are preserved as part of his cultural legacy in the Ivo Andrić Museum in Belgrade. Meanwhile, the exhibition “Ivo Andrić – A Man Beyond Time,” held at the Serbian Cultural Center in Beijing, continues to bring this significant yet often overlooked encounter to life.

In a time that often emphasizes differences, Andrić’s journey to China reminds us of what connects us: the word, the silence, and the art that knows no borders.

Article by: Dr. Ana Stjelja