An important influence on Chinese thought began to emerge after the fall of Jin. This was Buddhism, first introduced to China from central Asia in about 100 AD. Along with the Buddhist faith and way of thought came Buddhist art. From 493 to 522 a large Buddhist grottoes, Dragon Gate Grottoes, was cut near Luoyang with many thousands of minutes inscribed on the walls of those stone niches.

Without spiritual enlightenment, the purpose of Buddha cannot be recognized, and without exhibiting his image, the forces of evil will grow. Therefore, statues of the divinities are created. Monk Huicheng devotes his life to the work of the grottos in return for the great trust placed by the emperor. He had this niche started when his father, the governor of Luoyang, passed away. Rising to Sukhavati are all his late beloved and be the rich and the honored if they are bound to transmigration. The project is completed on September 14th, 22nd year of Taihe (498). Handwriting by Zhu Yizhang and article by Meng Da.

This minute is a typical example of inscriptions from Northern Dynasties. Its angular strokes seem rather the recreation of inscriber's chisel than a calligrapher's writing brush, and its bold characters, unquestionably the expression of martial Sienpi invaders, appear rudimentarily educated. Standing out of Jin masters' spectrum, this inscription, however, was greatly praised for its imposing quality and thus listed the best example from this period during the reevaluation of Chinese calligraphy a millennium later.