• Vietnam [Asia Society]
"A short essay on Vietnam's geopolitical history, from pre-civilization times to the 20th century."

• History of Vietnam: Chinese Colonization (200 BC-938 AD) [Windows on Asia, Michigan State University]
"During the 6th century AD, Chinese supervision over Vietnam relaxed somewhat due to the peaceful nature of the Chinese Emperor Wu who was a devout Buddhist and a patron of the arts. His lenience led to high levels of political infighting in China while in Vietnam local Chinese leaders, who no longer worried about supervision from China, were able to accumulate power."

• Southeast Asia, 1-500 A.D. [Timeline of Art History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art]
"Expanding international trade characterizes this period in Southeast Asia: Indonesian outriggers travel to the East African coast; Indian ceramics and glass beads are found in Bali and on the mainland; Chinese mirrors and Roman coins have been excavated in Cambodia; and horses from the Kushans in northwest India were imported." With a period overview, list of key events, and seven related artworks.

See Michigan State University's Windows on Asia for more on the history of other Southeast Asian countries, including Cambodia, Thailand, and Indonesia.

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• Pre-Angkor Traditions: The Mekong Delta and Peninsular Thailand [Timeline of Art History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art]
"International trade brought South Asian Hindu and Buddhist traditions to mainland Southeast Asia." An excellent overview, with images of seven sculptures from the museum's collection.

• The Origins of Buddhism [Asia Society]
"A short essay that explores how Buddhism grew out of Hinduism and spread from India to the rest of Asia. How does Buddhism vary from place to place, sect to sect? Learn about how the spread of ideas combine of new beliefs with existing thoughts and practices."

• Foundations and Transformations of Buddhism: An Overview [ExEAS, Columbia University]
These materials are designed to serve as background materials on what Buddhism is, how it developed and spread, and how Buddhist traditions differ.

Interactive Map • The Spread of Buddhism [Pacific Asia Museum]
To access the map from the main page of this Flash website, select any of the four topics, then select 'Timeline & Map' from the menubar at the bottom of the page. A timeline-map of the Buddha's life will appear first. Select 'Spread of Buddhism' at the bottom-right to get to the interactive timeline-map showing the spread of Buddhism. There is also a PDF version of the map available on the HTML version of the website.

AFE Special Topic Guide • Buddhism [OMuRAA, Asia for Educators]
AFE's compilation of recommended resources about Buddhism on OMuRAA, Online Museum Resources on Asian Art.

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