Greek Buddhists existed centuries before Buddhism reached China. This historical phenomenon is known as Greco-Buddhism. It emerged after Alexander the Great conquered parts of Central Asia and India in the fourth century BC. The primary hub of this cultural synthesis was Gandhara, a region spanning modern Pakistan and Afghanistan. Greco-Buddhism flourished from the third century BC, while Buddhism did not firmly enter China until the first century AD during the Han dynasty. The Edicts of Ashoka provide early proof of this connection. Written partly in Greek, these rock inscriptions confirm that Greek populations under the Mauryan Empire embraced Buddhism. Additionally, a Greek monk named Dharmaraksita was recorded as an influential Buddhist missionary during the third century BC. Another milestone was the reign of the Indo-Greek King Menander I in the second century BC. His philosophical debates with the Buddhist sage Nagasena were recorded in the famous text Milinda Panha. The Standing Buddha of Gandhara perfectly illustrates this artistic fusion. The statue blends Greek Hellenistic aesthetics with traditional Indian iconography. The facial features closely resemble the Greek god Apollo, and the hair is styled in realistic waves. Furthermore, the Buddha wears a heavy drape modeled after the Greek toga or himation rather than thin Indian robes.