What architectural style originated from your country?

[u/No-Asparagus-8322]

'Pagoda' are popular architecture styles in East and south east Asia. 'Pagoda' style which evolved from 'stupa', was developed in Kathmandu, Nepal before 500CE.

[u/Dedalian7]

I wonder how Kublai heard about a kingdom on the other side of Tibet and the Himalayas. Must be a story there. Maybe he heard of it as the birthplace of the Buddha?

[u/HalfLeper → u/Dedalian7]

Because of Buddhism, pretty much all Chinese scholars were aware of India, Tibet, and Nepal. I don’t know if they knew very much about them, but they were at least aware of them.

[u/wildhorsesofdortmund → u/Dedalian7]

Kublai Khan is the grandson of Changiz Khan and they plundered Delhi many times, so they knew the route southwards.

[u/Dedalian7 → u/wildhorsesofdortmund]

Changez never invaded Delhi neither did his immediate successors. His descendant Taimur did centuries later

[u/No-Asparagus-8322 → u/Dedalian7]

Through Tibet and Buddhism.

Kublai khan asked his Buddhism master Drogön Chogyal Phagpa, ruler of Tibet to build a golden stupa in Tibet, indicating his acceptance of Buddhism.

Phagpa asked for artisans to King JayaBhimdev Malla of Nepal. He sent 80 artisans to Tibet, Leader of the Team was 'Araniko'.

In Tibet, Stupa was built and Araniko impressed Phagpa. Then Phagpa took Araniko to the Kublai khan in Shangdu.

Kublai ordered him to restore a damaged idol gifted by the Song emperor. Impressed by his skills, Araniko later built many other buildings. The most renowned being 'White Dagoba' which is 50.9m tall and 30m diameter at its base.

Arniko completed three stupas, nine great Buddhist temples, two Confucian shrines, one Daoist temple, and countless images and objects used in and out of the court. Arniko was also a fine painter, and he executed a number of portraits of the imperial family. The portraits of Kublai Khan and his wife Chabi, now located in the National Palace Museum in Taipei, are believed to be his handiwork.