June 12th, 2008 
krishna Award Eminent Chinese Sanskrit Scholar and idologist Ji Xianlin was conferred on the Padma Bhushan award personally by the visiting Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Friday June 6. This is the first time that any Chinese national who has been conferred upon the Padma Bhushan Award. On the eve of the Republic Day, his name was announced by the Indian Government for the civilian award.
Chinese Scholar Ji is an eminent Sanskrit Scholar who has translated Valmiki’s Ramayana into Chinese in verse. Except it he has written some more including one depicting a short history of India. He has done a lot of research work on India and the interaction between Indian and Chinese civilizations for over six decades. He did his graduation from Tsinghua University and majored in Sanskrit from Germany’s Gottingen University. It is from here that his interest grew into India and the India culture. He has learned many classical Indian language during his research work for his PhD on the Buddhist text, Mahavastu
Research Work Ji has relentlessly researched on the contact between the two great civilizations of the world and what they have learned from each other. He is not only a research scholar but also a institution builder. It was he who founded the Department of Oriental Languages and Literature at Peking University. He is the inspiration or not only the Chinese students but also for the Indian students too. He has been a mentor to many Indian students too.
Old Path By researching on Sanskrit to understand the Indian civilizations he has followed the same path that some Chinese scholars has traversed centuries ago. As Hiuen Tsang not only remained stuck to do research on Budhism but also learned medicine ,astronomy and mathematics same is with Ji Xianlin. He has thoroughly researched the Indian culture and has a widespread knowledge of Indian languages, literature, religion and culture.
Ahead of Times Scholars always have shown and tread the right paths to the people irrespective of their religion, nationality etc,ahead of the times. When China was undergoing through the revolutionary phase and when scholars were discouraged he was translation the Hindu Epic Ramayana into Chinese in verse. Thus many decades ago he had selected the path both the nations have just started to follow. His conferring of the Padam Bhushan will impact the thinking of the people of both of the nations and will change their approach towards each other. This is just the starting point of the way both the nations have to tread a long way together.
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