Hsuan Tsang Temple Introduction
Continuing west along the Lakeside Highway, about 4.8 kilometers in, you will reach Xuanzang Temple. Master Xuanzang was a high monk of the Tang Dynasty who, feeling that the translated scriptures at the time had many discrepancies, was determined to seek the true meaning of Buddhism. He defied the prohibitions of his time and undertook a perilous journey to India for scriptures, returning home after seventeen years with 657 texts. He and his disciples translated 75 texts, totaling 1,335 volumes, making significant contributions to the development of Buddhism in China. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Japanese forces took Xuanzang’s top bone relic from Nanjing and enshrined it at Tiun Temple in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. In 1955, part of the relic was returned to the Buddhist Association of the Republic of China and was temporarily enshrined at Xuanguang Temple by Sun Moon Lake. In November 1965, after the completion of Xuanzang Temple, the relic was finally moved there. Xuanzang Temple is built in a Tang-style architecture, with green tiles and red pillars, exuding a rustic charm. The environment is serene, embodying the gracefulness of a traditional Chinese garden. Situated in front of Sun Moon Lake and backed by Qingshan Mountain, geomancers consider this temple to be located in a "Qinglong Playing with Pearls" auspicious site, making it the best place for enshrining Master Xuanzang’s relics. The Xuanzang Cultural and Memorial Hall has been opened for visitation since March 28, 2014.
