On June 12, the International Forum "The History and Future of Xinjiang, China" was held in Kashi, Xinjiang. Experts and scholars in the fields of religion and history shared research findings and examples of the integration of Xinjiang history and Chinese culture.

In the history of cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries, the titles named "Mahā yā na" were particularly noteworthy. Xuanzang, during his journey to the West, received the title "Mah ā yā na Deva" in India, his disciples, Kuiji and Puguang inherited the "Mah ā yā na" title. Additionally, numerous "Mah ā yā na" titles have been discovered in Dunhuang manuscripts. The saying "Names are guests of reality" suggests that the "Mah ā yā na" title signifies more than a religious identity. It also reflects the Sino-Indian cultural exchanges.

——By Zhan Ru,

professor from the Department of South Asian Studies, School of Foreign Languages, Peking University,

and the Director of the Peking University Research Center for Buddhist Texts and Art.

Due to historical backgrounds and cultural differences across regions, how Islam was introduced to China, the social response, and its adaptation to local contexts varied.

Islam entered inland China primarily through maritime trade by "overseas Chinese." To adapt to the Confucian-centered Chinese culture, Islam in inland China incorporated numerous elements of Chinese culture. However, the Islam's introduction into Xinjiang were characterized by forced conversions and propagation, supported by religious figures and enforced by the ruling class. Consequently, after its introduction, there was a strong tendency for religious forces to participate in and interfere with politics. To address this, the Qing government strictly enforced the separation of religion and state, This policy played a crucial role in adapting Islam to the Chinese context in Xinjiang.

——By Miao Pusheng,

former Deputy Director and Research Fellow at the Xinjiang Academy of Social Sciences.

The Khotanese king held reverence for the Buddh ā vata saka-s ütra, exemplified by the protective measures taken to safeguard it from foreign possession. Notably, Zhi Faling's journey to Khotan to acquire the Buddh a vata saka-sūtra underscores its importance.

Further, the transmission of the Buddh ā vata saka-sūtra continued with the arrival of a second Sanskrit manuscript, brought to China by the Khotanese monk ik a nanda under Empress Wu Zetian's command.

The significance of Khotan as a centre in the transmission of the Buddh a vata saka- sūtra to China is evident, underscoring its role in the history of Khotanese Buddhism.

——By Hamar Imre,

Vice Rector and Director of the Institute of East Asian Studies,

Head of the Department of Sinology at Estvos Lorand University in Hungary.

During the 3rd to10th centuries CE, Khotan prospered as a prominent kingdom and a bustling commercial center along the southern Silk Road. Various ancient Chinese, Tibetan, and Khotanese texts mention numerous Buddhist monastic institutions in Khotan. A Khotanese monastery named Mashe or Lushe in Chinese sources, associated with the legendary origins of silk production in Khotan.

——By Erika Forte,

professor at Kyoto University in Japan.

Of the thousands of donor portraits painted on the walls of the Mogao Caves, one in particular stands out for its size, meticulously painted details, and unique iconography, that in Mogao Cave 98 of Li Shengtian, the King of Khotan (912-966) and ally of the ruling élites of Dunhuang. Scholars typically consider his royal regalia to be thoroughly Chinese in origin and style, and the king as the representative of a Buddhist kingdom.

——By Neil Schmid,

distinguished research fellow of Dunhuang Academy.

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