Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, after establishing a…

Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, after establishing a dharamshala (religious rest house) at the Shanghai port and setting up a congregation (satsang), proceeded to another major city of that time, which was a commercial hub. Today, this city is known as Nanjing. According to the Chinese people, when Guru Ji arrived there, the common people were so impressed by his divine personality that they renamed their city after Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

There, Guru Ji led a movement against orthodox beliefs and superstitions. He presented the idea of equality before society and launched a three-principle program to create awareness against the exploitation of capitalism:

Kirat Karo (Earn an honest living) Vand Chhako (Share what you have with others) Naam Japo (Chant and meditate on the Name of God) Due to this, Guru Ji achieved great success and soon became widely respected. In that city as well, Guru Ji established a dharamshala and set up a satsang congregation. Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji stayed in China for nearly five years, after which he returned directly via Lhasa and reached Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.

(Note: Due to a lack of familiarity with the Chinese language, our historians remained silent about Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s journey to China. However, in 1950, when Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru met Chinese Prime Minister Zhou Enlai in Beijing, Zhou Enlai informed him that their cultural ties were very old and deep because Guru Nanak Dev Ji had visited China around 450 years ago to give spiritual teachings. He mentioned that Guru Ji's philosophy had left an indelible mark on their society, which could still be observed. Additionally, some of Guru Ji’s memorabilia were preserved in their museums. As a result of his teachings, even today, certain ethnic groups in China maintain unshorn hair.)