He who feels punctured must once have been a bubble.
-Tao Te Ching, the sacred book of Taoism

China is a world unto itself, with an unrivaled cultural legacy and a pervasive belief that the country’s ancient glory is the current generation’s destiny to recapture. We fell in love with the country only hours into our visit (during a walk through the medieval “hutong” neighborhood of Beijing) and ended up spending nearly two months exploring many of the country’s treasures: bustling cities, terraced rice fields, the Great Wall covered in morning mist, and the beautiful and warm Tibetan culture and people. Prepare for an experience like no other!

TRAVEL. DRAW CONNECTIONS.

Ancient Buddhist Caves in India and China

China is home to some of the most impressive Buddhist caves in the world: Mogao Caves (Dunhuang), Yungang Caves (Datong) and Longmen Caves (Luoyang). In this travel guidebook, we offer review in detail each site and draw connections between the art of the Chinese caves and their predecessors in India (the caves of Ajanta and Ellora outside of Mumbai). Learn more about visiting Buddhist cave sites in China…

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Wooden Temples of China and Japan

The oldest temples in the world can be found in China (Datong, Taiyuan, Wutai Shan) and Japan (Nara). These temple sites were influenced by the Buddhist architecture of India passed along by travelers of the Silk Road.  This guide walks visitors through each temple site and provides background behind this unique and beautiful wooden architectural style.  Learn more about visiting temples in China and Japan…

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China’s Indigenous Religions: Confucianism & Taoism

To understand China’s indigenous religions, Confucianism and Taoism, is to understand the underlying philosophy that drives much of today’s Chinese culture. This document explains how these two faiths served as opposing, yet complementary influences on Chinese civilization. Learn more about Confucianism & Taoism…

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Religion: Buddhism

Buddhism began as a rebellious offspring of Hinduism in India, “Hindu Protestantism”, if you will, and migrated out of India to the rest of Asia via the Silk Road and other trade routes. This guide seeks to provide a framework for understanding the faith and help readers gain an understanding of this religion’s rich, global cultural legacy. Learn more about Buddhism…

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The Stupa Form’s Transformation over Time

This guide offers detailed site reviews of stupa (pagoda) structures in X’ian and Gyantse (Tibet) and traces the stylistic changes in stupa/pagoda architecture as Buddhism migrated out of India, and to China and Japan (via the Silk Road) and to Southeast Asia (via sea trade routes). Learn more about the stupas and pagodas you will encounter on your trip…

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Historical East-West Trade Connections

The world’s first East-West trade route was the overland Silk Road, which facilitated the transportation of goods between Europe and China. Although fundamentally economic in orientation, this worldwide trade network spawned vast cultural, artistic and religious exchanges. Use this ApproachGuide to discover these exchanges, which served as the underlying (and often overlooked) inspiration for many of the world’s greatest cultural landmarks. Learn more about how early global trade impacts your trip today…

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Note that free previews reveal only a small, yet representative, portion of the content available in the complete Approach Guides document. All images and photos in these Approach Guides and on www.approachguides.com were taken on location by Jennifer and David Raezer.

Click here to see our Suggested Reading List for China

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Italy – China – India – Middle East – Southeast Asia – Turkey