| Publication |
2009.
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| Summary/Abstract |
Exactly when Buddhism spread to the Lake Erhai region continues to be a hotly debated issue among scholars. Upon examining currently available documents and artifacts, however, one starts to see evidence that Indian Buddhism spread to the Lake Erhai region of western Yunnan from the 'Southern Branch of the Silk Road' by about the middle of the seventh century ad.Indian Buddhism has had a profound impact on Bai history and culture, most notably in (1) the spread and assimilation of Acaya Buddhism into Bai culture, and (2) the Bai perception that they are the descendents of King Asoka, India's famous early promoter of Buddhism.
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