Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c11.76
Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c11.76
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v2.c11.76
In 518 CE, the envoy Song Yun and the Buddhist Hui Sheng of Northern Wei Dynasty were ordered to travel to the west for Buddhist scriptures. When they saw the stupa Queli Futu in the southeast of Peshawar, also called Kaniska Stupa, Hui Sheng hired the local artisan to copy the Buddha and reliefs with Buddha Jataka story enshrined. In 522 CE, Hui Sheng took these Buddhist scriptures and Gandhara art copy back to China. Tang Buddhist Xuanzang not only recorded the Buddha, stupa, temples and grottoes of Gandhara and Gupta art, but also brought the gold, silver and rosewood Buddha back to China. And Buddhists like Yi Jing followed them to the west for seeking or painting Buddha, and took them back to Chang'an.