"Period in Chinese history （206 B.C.-220 C.E.） during which Buddhism entered China. In the first century A.D. the Han Dynasty began to extend its sphere of influence into Central Asia， an area that was rife with Buddhist groups from a variety of traditions. Thanks to the Silk Route， merchants moved freely back and forth between areas and cultures， creating an atmosphere in which Buddhism was able to make its first inroads into China. Although there are a variety of accounts of Buddhism's first entry to China in the Han Dynasty， it met with a Chinese environment dominated by Confucian and Taoist culture. Buddhism made gains in Lo-yang where a translation center was organized by foreign monks. The first Chinese converts joined the Buddhist community， and Buddhist ideas were being circulated by the time of the downfall of the Han Dynasty in 220."