Scholars spotlight Buddhism's role in bringing people closer

Tang Dynasty (618-907) monk Xuanzang made overland trips to India along the ancient Silk Road in the 7th century to collect Buddhist sutras.

He later translated hundreds of the scriptures from Sanskrit to Chinese, contributing to the popularity of Buddhism in China and its proliferation in East Asia.

Containing around 260 characters, the Heart Sutra is a summary of the key doctrines of Mahayana Buddhism, one of the main existing branches of Buddhism. In Sanskrit, the title literally means the center of the "perfection of wisdom".