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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Article by: Dr. Ana Stjelja