Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c4.s2.58

v1.c4.s2.58

There were also “Tang Chuan Qi” short novels in which traces of Indian influence could be discerned. For instance, *Liu Yi Zhuan* (Legend of Liu Yi) was a story about Liu Yi and his marriage with the daughter of a dragon. The creation of the image of a dragon daughter had something to do with Buddhist texts. Another example, in the *Nanke Taishou Zhuan* (Legend of Nanke Prefecture Chief), tells the story of a man who came across a kingdom of ants, where he eventually became an official, married and had his children. This was not just an example of fantasy but also broke through the boundary between humans and animals, something very reflective of the creative imagination of ancient Indians.