The Shu Road and the Silk Road:Re-verifying the Diffusion Route of Indian Buddhism in Central China

摘要

The Shu Road is an important part of the Silk Road.As the transfer station for connecting the Maritime Silk Road with the Overland Silk Road and the starting point of the Southwestern Silk Road,Shu Yuandu Dao Route(Sichuan-India Road)-the predecessor of the Southwestern Silk Road,was the cultural exchange passage for China and its overseas neighbors before the opening of the famous Overland Silk Road.According to many archaeological findings and materials,Buddhism was introduced into the Central Plains along the Silk Road during the first century BC.Meanwhile,it was introduced into Bashu(the Sichuan Basin and its surrounding areas)along the Southwest Silk Road during the Eastern Han Dynasty(25-220)and was integrated into local cultures,which lead to the creation of the brilliant Buddhist culture and arts.