Contents
Xuanzang
Travelling from China to India to study Buddhism and bringing texts back for translation.
Great Tang Records on the Western Regions · Heart Sutra translation
- Born
- 602
- Birthplace
- Henan, China
- Died
- 664
More people
Xuanzang
Xuanzang was a Chinese Buddhist monk, translator and traveller. His account of Central and South Asia preserves observations of places, institutions and religious life in the seventh century.
Early life
Scholar’s household
Received an early education in Chinese classical learning.
Monastic life
Entered Buddhist study while young, following an elder brother into religious life.
Career
- 620s
Westward journey
Left China to seek Buddhist texts and teachers.
- 630s
Study in India
Studied at Nalanda and travelled through major Buddhist centres.
- 645
Return to China
Brought manuscripts back to Chang’an.
- 650s–660s
Translation
Led work translating major Buddhist texts into Chinese.
Texts and translations
Great Tang Records on the Western Regions
An account of the lands visited during his journey.
Heart Sutra translation
A Chinese version of a central Buddhist text.
Great Prajnaparamita Sutra
A large translation project completed late in life.
Beyond work
Later storytelling
His journey inspired the much later novel Journey to the West.
Religious legacy
His translations helped shape East Asian Buddhist scholarship.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Biography and contributions ↗Photo: Unknown author Unknown author. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
