<P> Buddhism appealed to Chinese intellectuals and elites and the development of gentry Buddhism was sought as an alternative to Confucianism and Daoism , since Buddhism 's emphasis on morality and ritual appealed to Confucianists and the desire to cultivate inner wisdom appealed to Daoists . Gentry Buddhism was a medium of introduction for the beginning of Buddhism in China , it gained imperial and courtly support . By the early 5th century Buddhism was established in south China . During this time , Indian monks continued to travel along the Silk Road to teach Buddhism , and translation work was primarily done by foreign monks rather than Chinese . </P>
an influential religion to enter china along the silk route during the han dynasty was
Buddhism