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The 2025 "Great Minds Dialogue: Lu Xun and Dickens" international exchange was launched at Lu Xun Memorial Hall in Shaoxing, Zhejiang province, on May 22.

Zhou Shuren (1881-1936), better known by his pen name Lu Xun, was a renowned Chinese writer, social critic, and one of the foundational figures of modern Chinese literature. Charles Dickens (1812–1870) was a 19th-century British novelist who chronicled industrial-era struggles.

Though separated by distance and time, both writers shared a commitment to social critique and humanistic insight.

Curators of both museums sign the Letter of Intent for Establishing Sister Museum Relations in Shaoxing, Zhejiang province, on May 22. [Photo/Tide News]

This collaboration builds upon over a decade of Chinese-British literary exchanges. Since 2013, Shaoxing has hosted 12 editions of the "Great Minds Dialogue", facilitating cross-temporal conversations between Lu Xun and global literary giants like Victor Hugo, Leo Tolstoy, and Rabindranath Tagore.

Zhou Lingfei, Lu Xun's eldest grandson and chairman of the Lu Xun Cultural Foundation, expressed hopes that such dialogues would enhance cultural exchanges.