Hsuan Tsang Temple Introduction
Continuing west along the Lakeside Highway for about 4.8 kilometers, one can reach Xuanzang Temple. Master Xuanzang was a celebrated monk of the Tang Dynasty. Feeling that the translated sutras at the time greatly differed from one another, leading to confusion, he sought to grasp the true meaning of Buddhism. Defying the regulations of the time, he took great personal risks and traveled to India to seek scriptures, spending seventeen years abroad and returning with six hundred fifty-seven texts. Together with his disciples, he translated seventy-five of these into one thousand three hundred thirty-five volumes, making significant contributions to the development of Buddhism in China. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Japanese took Xuanzang's cranial relic from Nanjing and enshrined it at the Tzuon Temple in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. In 1955, the relic was brought to Taiwan and temporarily enshrined at Xuanguang Temple by Sun Moon Lake. In November 1965, upon the completion of Xuanzang Temple, the relic was finally moved there. Xuanzang Temple is constructed in the Tang architectural style, featuring green tiles and red columns, simple yet elegant, set in a tranquil environment with the grandeur of a Chinese garden. It faces Sun Moon Lake to the front and is backed by Qingshan Mountain. Geographical experts consider this temple to be located in a "Qinglong Playing with Pearls" auspicious site, making it the best place for the enshrinement of Master Xuanzang's cranial relic. The Xuanzang Cultural Relics Memorial Hall has been open for public viewing since March 28, 2014.
