Contents
Hyecho
Leaving a rare eyewitness account of eighth-century Buddhist Asia.
Wang Ocheonchukguk Jeon
- Born
- Unknown
- Birthplace
- Silla, Korea
More people
Hyecho
Hyecho was a Buddhist monk from Silla who travelled through India and Central Asia. His surviving travelogue records monasteries, political conditions and local customs along his route.
Early life
Origins
Came from Silla; little reliable information survives about his childhood.
Study
Studied esoteric Buddhism in Tang China before travelling west.
Career
- 720s
Pilgrimage
Visited Buddhist sites and kingdoms across India.
- 727
Return journey
Reached Chinese territory after travelling through Central Asia.
Surviving work
Wang Ocheonchukguk Jeon
Recorded his travels through the Five Indian Kingdoms and surrounding regions.
The surviving record
Surviving voice
His account includes poems alongside observations about places and people.
Rediscovery
A fragment of the manuscript was identified at Dunhuang in the early twentieth century.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Biography and career evidence ↗Photo: AI-assisted reframing of a modern Hyecho illustration / Academy of Korean Studies, Encyves. Source credit; rights retained by the respective holder · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.