Journalists from Nagasaki, Japan, interview Lin Guanchao, a research scholar of Huangbo Culture in Xiamen, East China's Fujian province. [Photo/fao.xm.gov.cn]

A delegation of 20 journalists from Nagasaki, Japan visited Xiamen, East China's Fujian province from Oct 30 to Nov 1 at the invitation of Foreign Affairs Office in Fujian and the Consulate General of China in Nagasaki.

Themed on Huangbo Culture, the delegation members retraced the footsteps of ancient Chinese monk Yin Yuan by visiting Tianjie Temple, Heping pier and Egret Island Park.

They also interviewed Peng Yiwan, an expert in the literature and history of Xiamen, and Lin Guanchao, a research scholar of Huangbo Culture, to learn about the story that Yin Yuan promoted Buddhism in Japan.

In 1654, Yin Yuan sailed to Japan from Xiamen to promote Buddhism and initiated Huangbo school in Kyoto, an important branch of Japanese Buddhism.

In addition to broadcasting Buddhist philosophical thoughts, Yin Yuan also brought Chinese culture and advanced technologies to Japan, including architecture, carving, language, music, painting, calligraphy, diet and medicine.

All the above is collectively called Huangbo Culture in Japan, which poised huge influence to local economic and social development during the Edo period (1603-1868).