| As Buddhism was introduced into Chinese mainland since Han Dynasty, Buddhist culture communications between china and India became an important component in Sino-India cultural exchanges. It goes without saying that transportation in these areas is the bridge and link in the cultural exchange. With the prosperity of traffic between Chinese and Western in the Tang Dynasty, the exchange of Sino-India Buddhist culture reached an unprecedented peak. As Tubo was becoming more powerful, they began to conquer various tribes in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau one by one. Meanwhile, they built channels related to the surrounding areas, established and maintained the developed post system. With the advent of great mutual relationship between Tang-Tubo, the road from the mainland to India via Tubo was opened, and then became the new channel for the exchange of Sino-India Buddhist culture. Tubo Road does not only refer to a specific route, but a traffic net in all directions or road groups. Its main line is Tang-Tubo Ancient Road and Tubo-Nepal Ancient Road, roughly across today’s Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Tibet, over the Himalayas reach Nepal, India. Tubo Road also has branch that the mainland via today’s Xinjiang and Central Asia as well as via Sichuan or Nanzhao reach Tubo,then from Tubo to India. After Tubo Road opened, the exchange of Sino-India Buddhist culture brought us an unprecedented atmosphere. Via Tubo Road, a large number of monks from China mainland took great trouble to India for seeking the dharma, in turn, some advanced monks from India traveled long distance to the mainland spreading the Buddhism. Wang Xuance, as the representative of the official envoys, also promoted the exchange of Sino-India Buddhist culture. The collision and communication of China mainland Buddhism and Indian Buddhism took place in Tubo, thus gaining important sources of Tubo Buddhism. Tubo Road, as a short cut of the exchange of Sino-India Buddhist culture, reflects the new trend and new situation of the Sino-India traffic in the Tang Dynasty. Although the open time of Tubo Road was very short, and it rapidly declined after the relationship of Tang-Tubo became terrible, it was not completely cut off or shut down. Tubo Road is an significant route of Chinese and Western in the Tang Dynasty, and the exchange of Sino-India Buddhist culture via Tubo Road is an essential part of the exchange of Sino-India Buddhist culture in the Tang Dynasty. The opening of Tubo Road also broadens the field of communication between China and India,which not only contributes to the exchange of Buddhist culture, but also promotes the exchanges in other fields between China and India. |
