Seashell echoes poet's ties to China

Inside one of the University of Chile's main buildings, visitors will see a seashell that carries a story far larger than its size. It is displayed among marine specimens linked to Pablo Neruda (1904-73), the Nobel Prizewinning Chilean poet known for his love of seashells, which he described as "small countries of mother-of-pearl". In 1954, he donated his private collection of thousands of shells to the university.

The shell displayed in the university's main building stands out for what it reveals about a time when culture often outpaced diplomacy.

In his memoir, Neruda describes receiving a rare shell during a visit to China: "I remember that in the Peking Museum, the most sacred box of mollusks from the China Sea was opened to give me … the Thatcheria mirabilis." He said it was one of only two known specimens of that particular mollusk.

Long before Chile and China established formal diplomatic relations in 1970, Chilean writers and artists were already taking journeys across the Pacific. They traveled, wrote, and helped build institutions that turned curiosity into exchange. Their encounters helped shape a relationship that now runs through trade, education and tourism.