Listen to this articleThe most authoritative geographical documents in Central and South Asia in the Middle Ages
Overview
Chinese Name: 大唐西域记
English Name: Great Tang Records on the Western Regions, Da Tang Xi Yu Ji
Other Name: Xi Yu JI西域记 (Records on the Western Regions)
Author: Xuan Zang 玄奘, Bian Ji 辩机
Originally Published: 646 A.D (Tang Dynasty)
Genre: History, Geography
Brief Introduction of Great Tang Records on the Western Regions
“Great Tang Records on the Western Regions” is a geographical history book dictated by “Xuan Zang玄奘” and complied by “Bian Ji辩机”. It was written in the 20th year of Zhenguan of the Tang Dynasty (646).
The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions records what Xuan Zang saw and heard when he set out from Chang’an (today’s Xi’an) to visit the western regions, including more than 200 countries and city-states and many different nationalities. The book’s records on the lifestyles, buildings, marriages, funerals, religious beliefs, bathing and treatment of diseases, music, and dance of various countries and nationalities in the western regions reflect the customs and folk customs of the western regions from different levels, angles and depths.
This book is an important document for studying the ancient history and geography of India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and other places, which is valued by scholars all over the world.
This book is an important document for studying the ancient history and geography of India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and other places, which is valued by scholars all over the world.
The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions mainly contain the following contents：
（1） Summarize the geographical situation, climate, products, politics, economy, culture, customs and religion of various countries. The introduction of most countries in the book is from the description of the natural environment to the general situation of society. It is particularly precious that it also focuses on India with 17 topics, basically covering the whole picture of India.
（2） And recorded important historical figures and historical events. Most of the countries introduced in the book involve some historical figures or historical events, but the book is not a biography of historical figures, but a geographical chronicle. Historical figures and historical events were triggered by Xuanzang’s visit to the hometown of celebrities and viewing the remains and cultural relics. Although the historical events recorded in the book are related to Buddhism, they also have important reference value for investigating the political situation of the country.
（3） It describes the evolution and distribution of various Buddhist sects. Xuanzang traveled all over India and kept a record of religious beliefs in various countries at any time.
The uniqueness of the content and the literary value of the Great Tang Records on the Western Regions have made it have a far-reaching impact on later literary works, mainly in the theme of people and strange things.
Wu Cheng-en吴承恩, a novelist of the Ming Dynasty, carried out artistic processing according to the Great Tang Records on the Western Regions and folklore, and finally wrote Xi You Ji西游记 (Journey to the West), a famous myth novel.
Author of Great Tang Records on the Western Regions
Xuan Zang (602-664), also known as Tang Seng唐僧, Tang Sanzang唐三藏, his real name is Chen Yi陈祎, an eminent monk of the Tang Dynasty, and one of the four Buddhist Scripture translators of Chinese Buddhism in China.
Xuanzang became a monk at the age of 13 and received full discipline at the age of 21. He has traveled all over the world and visited famous teachers. Later, he felt that the teachers said different things and various classics were different, he decided to go west to seek Dharma to solve his confusion.
In 629 A.D., he set out from Chang’an, went out of Dunhuang through Guzang, and traveled through today’s Xinjiang and Central Asia to reach Central India. Enter Nalanda temple, the Buddhist Center of India at that time, and carefully study various Buddhist scriptures
Five years later, he traveled to dozens of countries in the East, South, West and North of India. He returned to Chang’an in 645. In the following 20 years, he was mainly engaged in the translation of scriptures, and successively translated 75 large and small multiplied scriptures, 1335 volumes.
Bian Ji 辩机(619 ~ 649), from Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province. He became a monk at the age of 15 and studied with the famous mage Daoyue道岳. It is also located in Huichang temple, Jinchengfang, northwest of Chang’an. He helped Xuanzang translate the Scriptures and compiled a book called Great Tang Records on the Western Regions.
Bian Ji was famous for his talent and knowledge, rich translation industry, and helping Xuanzang write books. But he died at the age of 30 because of an affair with Princess Gaoyang高阳公主, the daughter of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty唐太宗.
Excerpts From Da Tang Xi Yu Ji
历选皇猷，遐观帝录，庖羲出震之初，轩辕垂衣之始，所以司牧黎元，所以疆画分野。暨乎唐尧之受天运，光格四表，虞舜之纳地图，德流九土。自兹已降，空传书事之册；逖听前修，徒闻记言之史。岂若时逢有道，运属无为者欤？我大唐御极则天，乘时握纪，一六合而光宅，四三皇而照临。玄化滂流，祥风遐扇，同乾坤之覆载，齐风雨之鼓润。与夫东夷入贡，西戎即叙，创业垂统，拨乱反正，固以跨越前王，囊括先代。同文共轨，至治神功，非载记无以赞大猷，非昭宣何以光盛业？玄奘辄随游至，举其风土，虽未考方辨俗，信已越五逾三。含生之俦，咸被凯泽；能言之类，莫不称功。越自天府，暨诸天竺，幽荒异俗，绝域殊邦，咸承正朔，俱沾声教。赞武功之绩，讽成口实；美文德之盛，郁为称首。详观载籍，所未尝闻；缅惟图牒，诚无与二。不有所叙，何记化洽？今据闻见，于是载述。
卷一 三十四国
