Visual Source 7.2: A Stop at a Caravanserai

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If travelers faced peril on the Silk Roads, they also found places of rest and refreshment. The caravanserai provided lodging for merchants and their servants, warehouses for their goods, shelter and food for their animals in an open courtyard, and opportunities for trade in the bazaars. Visual Source 7.2, a sixth-century painting also from the Magao Caves, shows a caravan finding accommodations in such a place. Providing these services, including wells and bridges, was one way for wealthy Buddhist patrons to gain merit.

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Visual Source 7.2 A Stop at a Caravanserai (CPA Media)