The traditional social structure of China, however, must have played a fundamental role in accepting the western civilization and modernizing China. Therefore, along with the western impact on China, the transformation and development of Chinese society should be considered. The relation between Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism is one of the most important subjects in the Chinese history of thought. Especially in the Tang dynasty, Confucians, Buddhists and Taoists had many heated controversies, and influenced each other in that process. This project aims to clarify the relationships between Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism in the Tang dynasty by analyzing some typical treatises on the defense of Buddhism.
All plastic representations have symbolical meanings in ancient and medieval arts.
We cannot comprehend works of art without understanding what they represent. There are myths and early legends in the background of them. We will analyze Chinese ancient and medieval arts by the method of iconology. The main objects of our study will be archaeological materials which have been unearthed since the Communist Revolution, and Buddhist arts in China such as grotto temples in Dunhuang and Longmen, as well as those in India, Korea and Japan. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Portuguese and the Spanish first came into contact with various exotic languages in Asia.