1、 Introduction

The importance of cultural exchange from a global historical perspective was emphasized, and the particularity of cultural exchange between China and Eastern European countries was pointed out. As a Southeast European country, Serbia's modern cultural identity was formed during wars with foreign tribes, and it is tolerant of heterogeneous cultures while adhering to its own cultural traditions. This study aims to fill the gap in the research of cultural exchange history between Serbia and China, systematically excavate and sort out the historical materials of cultural exchanges between the two countries from the 18th century to the disintegration of Yugoslavia in 1992, and focus on the content related to Chinese culture in Serbian literature.

2、 The earliest written record of Chinese culture in 18th century Serbia

In the early 18th century, Count Sava Vladislavi ć, a Serbian, served as a Russian envoy to visit the Qing Dynasty and signed the Treaty of Chaktu with the Qing court. His "Secret Report on the Strength and Current Situation of the Chinese Empire" and travelogues on China had a significant impact on Tsarist Russia's policy towards the Qing Dynasty, inspiring Serbian attention to the Eastern world and China. Sava was the first Serbian to have close contact with important officials of the Qing Empire and to describe in detail the customs and traditions of China.

3、 The Spread of Chinese Culture in Serbia in the 19th Century

In the 19th century, Serbia was influenced by the Ottoman Empire and intellectuals fled to the Austro Hungarian Empire. They were the first to introduce Chinese culture through Serbian newspapers founded in Vienna and Budapest. Newspapers such as the Serbian People's Daily founded in 1841 and the Serbian Daily founded in 1843 serialized articles introducing China's enlightenment education and scientific examination system. Although the authors lacked personal experience, they faithfully introduced Chinese culture. At the end of the 19th century, Serbian doctor Mi Jovanovic came to China as a ship doctor and wrote a travelogue called "A Journey to the East", using his meticulous observation skills to uncover the mysterious veil of China and help Serbians understand the daily customs of Chinese life. These early cultural exchanges represent the brave first step of the Serbian people towards Chinese culture, heralding a new light of civilization exchange.

4、 The Spread of Chinese Culture in Serbia in the First Half of the 20th Century

In the first half of the 20th century, Serbian poet Mi ț lyanski translated and published classical Chinese poetry and philosophical works, which had an impact on the Serbian New Poetry Movement. He admires ancient Chinese philosophy and art, believing that Eastern artistic ideas and realms are not possessed by the Serbian literary tradition. Zelensky's poetry incorporates Chinese elements, such as the imagery of "Chinese cherry blossoms". At the same time, Serbian scholars began to study Chinese issues, focusing on the Chinese Revolution, the War of Resistance Against Japan, etc., but paid less attention to Chinese literature and art. In 1937, Chinese literary works such as "Water Margin" were translated into Serbian. Some Serbians came to China due to the war and after returning home, they published a record of their experiences in China, documenting the situation in Chinese cities at that time. Yelena Vilimirovi ć was the first Serbian to be proficient in Chinese. She lived in China for many years and after returning to her home country, she published a book of her observations and poems about China, which sparked Serbian interest in China. However, during this period, personnel and cultural exchanges between Serbia and China were generally scattered, mainly based on personal experience. Between 1858 and 1944, there were only 22 Serbian language books, newspaper articles, and translated texts on Chinese studies.

5、 The Spread of Chinese Culture in Serbia in the Second Half of the 20th Century

In the second half of the 20th century, the dissemination of Chinese culture in Serbia underwent significant changes, especially after the establishment of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia after World War II. As one of the republics, Serbia's capital Belgrade became an important center for cultural exchange between China and South Korea. The cultural exchange between the two countries is influenced by bilateral relations and can be divided into two stages: 1945-1979 and 1980-1992, with the full normalization of bilateral relations in 1979 as the milestone.

6、 Conclusion

The cultural exchange between Serbia and China has a long history, mainly driven by the people and developed naturally before the 1980s. Serbia's Chinese studies have long been in the stage of "travelogue Sinology", represented by a few outstanding figures. After the 1980s, relations between the two countries normalized and cultural exchanges reached their peak, with Serbia showing a strong interest in various fields of China. China studies in Serbia have begun to become more academic and specialized, with significant improvements in both the quantity and quality of results. In the early 1990s, the deepening of political relations between the two countries created conditions for broader cultural dialogue and exchanges.