6. Buddhism to China
- Kerry Paul
- May 1
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 7
I recently visited India to explore how this country evolved and what drives it today. In the 1,450 years from about 250 BC to 1200 AD (called The Common Period), the spread of Indian religion had a profound impact on South, Central, South-East, and Eastern Asia. Today, over half the world’s population lives in areas where Indian religious ideas are, or once were, dominant.
Buddhism to China
How India shaped the world: A key figure in Buddhism’s spread to China was Xuanzang, a Chinese monk who spent
20 years studying at the Buddhist Temple of Nalanda in northeastern India. He returned to China with Indian manuscripts, artworks, and ideas, spreading Buddhist teachings and transforming China’s arts, history, society, and culture. As Buddhism took root in China, it evolved, shaped by Chinese traditions and beliefs.
The decline of Confucianism created space for new ideas, and Buddhism gained followers by offering the prospect of rebirth after death. Xuanzang became a close advisor to the Chinese Emperor, and after the Emperor’s passing, his son Gaozong took the throne. Among Gaozong’s concubines was Wu Zetian, who came from a Buddhist family.
As Gaozong’s health deteriorated, Wu Zetian positioned herself to take power. After his death, she became China’s first and only female Empress. She overcame opposition to establish Buddhism as the state religion of China, with Indian monks playing a key role in its spread.
Today, China has the largest Buddhist population in the world and remains a global centre of Buddhism. However, India’s direct influence on Chinese Buddhism declined following the death of Wu Zetian.
Your next read in the series: 7. Hinduism and Buddhism in South-East Asia
