Buddhism (chin.: Fójiào 佛教) originated in India and many Indian Monks travelled to China to teach. But also many Buddhist Pilgrims travelled from China to Northern India to study the Scriptures, walking home along the Northern or Southern “Silk Road” (chin.: Sīlù 丝路). Masters Xuan Zhang (chin.: Xuán Zàng 玄奘 / 602 - 664 μ.Χ.) and Fa Hian (κιν.: Fǎxiǎn 法顯 / 337 – 422 μ.Χ.) are two of the most famous examples.
Various Chinese emperors had sent special envoys to India to invite Buddhist monks (chin.: sēng 僧) to come to China to teach Buddhism, which was regarded as an educational system (chin.: xuézhì 学制), and not as a religion (chin.: jiào 教).
According to the Continued Biographies of Eminent Monks (chin.: xùgāosēngchuán 续高僧传, 645) by Daoxuan (chin.: dàoxuān 道宣, 596-667), an eminent Indian monk came to China in the fifth century right through India and China,…
