The spread and religion of the Buddha’s footprint image has been significant among the Asian areas where Buddhism is popular ever since medieval period,which projects the local people’s longing for the Buddhists and praying for the prosperity of the Buddhism,and clearly reflects the interaction and integration of the cultures of that time.The Buddha’s Footprint image was initiated around the era which symbolized the Buddha’s image in the center of India.Then in the 2nd to 4th centuries,the symbol of Buddha’s image started to appear on the stones called "Buddha’s footprint stone" and gained popularity.There were two separated image systems with their own characteristics formed in the Northwest India and the Southeast India as a result.Later on,the India Buddha’s Footprint image underwent a gradual and continuous development till 12th century.On the other hand,the Buddha’s footprint image came to spread in the regions of Chinese Han culture from Guanzhong of Shaanxi province to Sichuan basin and Southeastern coasts after Xuanzang and Wang Xuance brought back the drawing of the image from the central India in the mid-7th century.By Ming dynasty,the Buddha’s Footprint steles were everywhere in Chinese Buddhist temples,which marked that Buddha’s footprint image was finally sinicized in China.The theme of the Buddha’s footprint image has always been about hoping prosperity and eternity of Buddhism,other connotations like protecting Buddhist doctrine,removing ill fortune and releasing the souls of the dead were added in the development afterward,which implied that people’s thought was changed from worshipping Buddha to praying for prosperity of Buddhism.In Japan,the image of Buddha’s footprint stone derived from Wang Xuance’s drawing during Nara period(710-794)remain preserved in the Druggist Temple(literally Yao Shi Temple),which has far-reaching influence upon the images of the Japanese Buddha’s footprint stone in and after the Edo period in history.
