## Historical Context
Xuanzang (602–664) was a celebrated Buddhist monk and translator of the Tang Dynasty who undertook a famous pilgrimage to India and Central Asia in search of Buddhist scriptures. His journey, which lasted approximately seventeen years, became one of the most significant religious and scholarly expeditions in East Asian history.
## The Work
The title *Da Tang Xiyu ji* (大唐西域記, “Record of the Western Regions of the Great Tang”) is Xuanzang’s documented account of his travels through Central Asia and India. This geographical and ethnographic work records the kingdoms, peoples, customs, and Buddhist sites he encountered. The text became an invaluable historical source for understanding the geography, culture, and Buddhism of the regions traversed during the Tang period. The work has been preserved in the Chinese Buddhist canon and remains significant for both religious and secular historical scholarship.
