For 500 years after Buddhism was introduced in China, it was mostly spread among the aristocracy rather than the common folk and did not have any standard or systematic religious commandments and activities. During his reign, Xiao Yan, Emperor Wu of the Liang Dynasty, promoted the Sinicization of Buddhism and established it as the national religion. He was the emperor with the closest relationship with Buddhism and played a critical role in its Sinicization. His contributions included promoting the integration of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism; perfecting the Buddhist commandments; clarifying the vegetarian system; establishing large-scale dharma assemblies; and building a system of religious activities.

Linggang Kong. Kingship and Religion: the contributions of ‘Emperor Bodhisattva’ Xiao Yan promoting the Sinicization of Buddhism during the reign of the Liang Dynasty. Academic Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences (2020) Vol. 3, Issue 7: 104-112. https://doi.org/10.25236/AJHSS.2020.030712.

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