Reflections of Chinese Religious Syncretism in Tang Iconography

The Lokapalas and the Adaptation of Buddhism to Chinese Culture

Abstract

Mahāyāna Buddhism’s mythology and iconography were transformed on their land journey along the Silk Road, from India to China. Buddhism acquired religious and artistic traits from other contexts. Lokapalas are reflective of these changes.
These deities always retained original attributes. But in India, their transition from Brahmanism to Buddhism granted them a protective aura of Siddhartha Gautama and the Buddhist faith, whereas in Central Asia and later in China, they were militarized. Other transformations occurred due to the centripetal force of Chinese culture and religious sensitivities.
This article explores these syncretic processes, by analyzing the religious and artistic transformations that these figures underwent on the Silk Road toward Tang China.