The Trade Routes and the Diffusion of Artistic Traditions in South and Southeast Asia

The countries of southeast Asia have a closely interrelated cultural history, shaped by the passage of cultures and religions that accompanied the historic trade routes. Caught between the economic demands of the Roman and Chinese Empires, the countries of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos came to be increasingly exposed to new cultures from both east and west, which were to have a longlasting effect on their artistic traditions. Buddhism spread east from India and left a clear legacy in the art and architecture of these societies.