Chinese first planted cinchona to fight malaria in Nilgiris Chinese ethnic food, a hit in Ooty M.K. Narayanan at his diplomatic best
Meet a diplomatic move to cement trade ties: BJP
More than anyone else, the BJP here, eagerly looks forward to Friday's second informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese Premier Xi Jinping. The party views the Mamallapuram summit as a diplomatic move to revive cultural and trade ties between the two countries. .
Reviving the ancient trade links from the fabled Mahabalipuram, which has been the earliest seat of trade between the two Asian giants, particularly the cultural connect, would it appears make the BJP to eclipse the DMK's brag on Tamil pride. “The revival of ties would not only prosper our economy but also make our borders safe. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's idea of pursuing the Mamallapuram diplomacy will surely bring back the golden days of excellent relationship the people under Narasimhavarman I and the Chinese enjoyed then,” says Vanathi Srinivasan, BJP state general secretary.
Mrs. Vanathi who had visited China, believes that Mr. Modi's initiatives would make the Chinese open up trade ties with India in a big way. “Such ties are mutually beneficial. During my visit to China, I realised the greatness of Tamils, when I learnt that the Chinese revere Bhodidharma who had established the Shaolin temple there. He had spread Buddhism, besides Siddha medicine and our ancient martial arts,” she adds.
The Pallavas kings, particularly the great Narasimhavarman-I, was known to have been good in trading and building partnerships with other countries. The Pallava Kings had trade and defence relationship with China. “There is every possibility that the relationship between the two countries would be built on these lines,” a BJP leader added.
Quoting from various books, BJP State executive member Narayanan Thirupathy says Chinese Traveller Hiuen Tsang who had visited India had collected 627 Sanskrit books, which he took with him to China and got them translated. “Though we read a few paragraphs on Tsang, he came during Narasimha Pallava period to learn about Buddhism and he had visited Kancheepuram too,” he said. The party also feels that the PM would seek favourable terms for India's exports to China. D.Venugopal, director of the Nilgiri Documentation Centre (NDC), said that the Chinese connection with the Nilgiris starts from around the 1850s when a group of skilled Chinese prisoners landed up in the Nilgiris, following the second Opium War between the British and the Chinese.
They took part in the construction of the Lawrence School at Lovedale, planted tea for the first commercial tea estate in Thiashola near Ooty and pioneered cinchona cultivation in Nilgiris to fight the scourge of malaria.
In 1864, W.G. McIvor, superintendent of cinchona plantations and earlier, the architect of the Government Botanical Gardens in Ooty asked the British government for 500 D.Venugopal “Shinkows” the iconic and authentic Chinese restaurant in Ooty carries with it the Chinese cuisine connections with Nilgiris, that is, of course, a legacy continuing here for more than 60 years.
While there two families of Chinese origin lives in Ooty, the 73 years old Liao Pao Chun, fondly known as “Powks” and “China Dorai' in local circles, who is now the proprietor of Shinkows, said that his forefathers came from Guangdong province in South China and settled down in Kolkata in the 1800's. He said that his father Shinkows came to Ooty in early 1900's and started a footwear shop in the small room in the middle of the present Shinkows restaurant.
'Over the time my father shifted to restaurant business here began to serve the authentic Chinese food. I was born here and now a citizen of India. I studied in the Breeks School in Ooty. My
The Indo-China border talks was held in Coonoor in April 2007. The Indian side was led by the then national security adviser M K Narayanan while the Chinese delegation was headed by the then Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo. wife Linda, whose family roots were from China, was raised in Kolkata. My two children have settled in Canada now,” Mr. Chun added and said that he is fluent in Tamil. Stating that he had never been to China, he added that he is fully engrossed with Liao Pao Chun, proprietor of the Shinkows restaurant in Ooty his restaurant business taking every care to serve the best quality Chinese food to the customers. Observing that people of Nilgiris are very good, hospitable, caring with good helping tendency, he said his family leads a peaceful life in Ooty. When asked, which Indian food he likes most, he said that “Naturally, Idli, Dosa and Sambar”. About the hill delicacies of Nilgiris, he said “Chicken from Badaga cuisine is very delicious”.