DISTINGUISHED Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986) made an invaluable contribution to the West’s understanding and appreciation of China, according to Argentine literature expert Ruben Pose.

Borges, a key figure in Argentine literature, was also an admirer of traditional Chinese culture. Chinese philosophy greatly influenced his works, such as “Kafka and His Precursors” and “The Garden of Forking Paths.”

Pose, an expert in Hispanic philology, said Borges’ admiration for Chinese philosophy and literature was reflected in his short stories, poems and essays, contributing “to the Western understanding of Chinese culture.” For example, Borges highlighted “I Ching” (“Book of Changes”) as a classic text that could take its place alongside other classics of world literature, said Pose.

“In Borges’ time, very few people would agree to open the doors to Chinese literature, but Borges did,” Pose added.

He said Borges’ writing reflects his extensive knowledge of Chinese culture. In 1937, Borges published a review of Qing-Dynasty (1644-1911) novel “Dream of the Red Chamber,” one of the four classics of Chinese literature.

In his essay “Kafka and His Precursors,” Borges mentioned Tang-Dynasty (618-907) poet Han Yu, and in the story “The Garden of Forking Paths,” he again alluded to “Dream of the Red Chamber.”

Borges was also an avid student of Chinese philosophy. “Borges searched, quoted and transformed Chinese philosophical postulates into a literary technique,” Pose said, noting the presence of “complementary opposites, yin and yang, in many of Borges’ texts.”

“One observes this in Borges, there is synthesis and condensed thought, but it is also an aesthetic postulate of classical Chinese poetry,” he said, showing Chinese philosophy’s impact on Borges’ works.

While Borges never visited China, his works have significantly influenced Chinese authors. “The Garden of Forking Paths” was one of the first Borges works to be translated into Chinese, and “it had a very strong impact from the point of view of the Chinese avant-garde,” said Pose, who teaches Spanish language in Argentina and has been studying Chinese since 2004.

“Borges helped to understand some tenets of Chinese thoughts without having stated them directly,” and that fostered “recognition between China and Argentina, and between China and Latin America,” he said. By bringing Chinese and Latin American readers closer together, Borges “produced an interaction between one culture and another that helps mutual understanding.”(Xinhua)