Records of the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty

"Records of the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty" is a historical and geographical work about the Western Regions in the Tang Dynasty. The author is Xuanzang, a famous monk, Buddhist theorist and translator in the Tang Dynasty. In the first year of Zhenguan (627), Xuanzang set out from Chang'an, passed through Liangzhou, crossed the sand moraine, and went through hardships until he reached Gaochang. He then passed through Yanqi and Qiuci, crossed the Lingshan Mountains, passed through the borders of Sogdia, passed the Iron Gate (now the Buzgala Pass in southern Uzbekistan), entered the border of Tocharo (now northern Afghanistan), and then followed the northern part of present-day Pakistan, passed through Kashmir, and entered northern India. He traveled throughout India and visited southern Nepal, visiting the six holy sites of Buddhism. In the fourth year of Zhenguan, he went to Nalanda Temple and worshiped Jie Xian as his teacher and studied for five years. Later, he visited various parts of India and returned to Nalanda Temple in the 14th year of Zhenguan. He studied Mahayana and Mahayana doctrines and became the most knowledgeable Buddhist scholar in the area. Under the auspices of King Harsha, he defeated all the opponents of Mahayana and Mahayana in the Five Heavens through debates, and was called the "Mahayana Heaven". In the 19th year of Zhenguan, he returned to China with 657 collected Buddhist scriptures, Buddha statues, flowers, fruits, seeds, etc. Xuanzang's journey to the West for more than ten years to seek Dharma, covering a distance of 50,000 miles, can be called a dangerous and great journey in medieval history. After returning to China, Xuanzang also followed the instructions of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty and orally described the conditions of various places he traveled through. Bianji, who assisted in translating the scriptures, took notes and completed the writing of "Records of the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty" in the 20th year of Zhenguan. The entire book "Records of the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty" follows Xuanzang's travel route and describes the city-states, regions and countries he saw along the way.