The Story of Emperor of Mu recorded the story in which Emperor of Mu pilgrimed to the West. This was not a hunting trip, a mount dedication in general sense, nor a usual tour or adventure, but a pilgrimage made by Emperor of Mu as the Sovereign of the West Zhou Dynasty to the origin of holy jade in the west of the Chinese territory. This pattern of traveling to the west established the belief in Chinese native mythology and religion prior to the introduction of Buddhism to China that all Chinese gods were originated from the holy mountains in western China where majestic jades were abundant. After the introduction of Buddhism, the ancient India as the origin of Buddhism took the place of the Kunluns in the preQin myths to be the model to construct a new imaginary west, to which The Buddhist Journey to the West promoted the transition.

The Story of Emperor of Mu; The Buddhist Journey to the West; cultural pattern