A white porcelain statue that shapes and colors history

Editor's Note: Every week we look at a work of art or a cultural relic that puts the spotlight on China's heritage.

The best-selling biography of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs - the Chinese version became available only weeks ago - portrays a tech visionary deeply influenced by Zen Buddhism, evoking a surge of interest in the ancient philosophy among readers.

Zen is a school of Mahayana Buddhism founded by the monk Bodhidharma from ancient India. The philosophy arrived in China in the 6th century, where it flourished and was called Chan Buddhism. It later bloomed in Japan and other parts of the world.