The deity Guanyin itself came to China from India along the Great Silk Road. Initially, the goddess of mercy Guanyin was portrayed as a man; in Indian Buddhism, the image of Avalokiteshvara, the masculine version of the god, is still popular. However, starting from the Song Dynasty, Avalokiteshvara turns into a sexless creature Guanyin, and later begins to look more and more like a female image. It is believed that this gender reassignment occurred due to the fact that in Chinese culture the image of a male deity was traditionally portrayed as more severe, and the concept of mercy was more suitable for a female image.