Buddhist Exchanges between Ancient Pakistan and China

Authors

  • Guo Yaling Associate Professor, Hebei Normal University. Research interests: cognitive translation studies, regional studies.
  • Wang Hua Teacher of the Secondary School, The Middle School Attached to Hebei Normal University
  • Mazhar Alam Director and Founding Member of Pakistan Research Center, HNU, China, Foreign Expert, Chinese Cultural Translation Research Network (CCTSS), Project Director, Chinese Archaeological Joint Excavation Project in Pakistan

Keywords:

Eastward Spread of Buddhism, Westward Pilgrimage, Backward Flow, Two-Way Traffic

Abstract

There is a long history of Buddhist communication between ancient China and ancient Pakistan (the region where Pakistan is located now). From the 1 st to 7 th century AD, three waves of Buddhist Communication between the two regions emerged, with a large scale of eastward spread of Buddhism and westward pilgrimage. A two-way traffic of communication was formed when Chinese Buddhism travelled backward to ancient Pakistan. The history of friendly exchanges between China and Pakistan thus can be dated back 2000 years earlier. This interaction along the “Silk Road” has great implications for the “Belt and Road” initiative and the communication between China and Pakistan.

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Published

2025-04-09

Issue

Vol. 45 No. 2 (2022): Journal of Asian Civilizations

Section

Articles