 China was introduced to the teachings of Buddhism as early as the 2nd century BCE, during China's Han Dynasty, becoming more established during the 2nd century CE.The earliest representations did not start as sculptures of the human form, but rather an empty seat, footprint, tree or stupa, an architectural form eventually inspiring the creation of pagodas in China.The practice started in rock-cut cave temples where carvings, mostly in relief, of images enveloped chambers and complexes illustrating the beliefs associated to the Buddha's teachings.