Xinhua Commentary: The power of dialogue

Artists perform the Yueju Opera on the stage decorated with lanterns in Xitang ancient township, east China's Zhejiang Province, March 31, 2013. China will hold the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations starting from May 15. (Xinhua/Wang Song)

BEIJING, May 15 (Xinhua) -- More than 1,300 years ago, Chinese Buddhist monk Xuanzang traveled thousands of miles to the revered Indian monastery of Nalanda, where he studied Buddhism for five years under the guidance of Abbot Silabhadra.

The two legendary Buddhist masters' interactions were much more than personal exchanges. Their conversations have been considered one of the highlights of the long-running dialogue between the two ancient Asian civilizations.