Chinese monks to retrace Xuanzang's voyage to India

BEIJING: Two Buddhist monks would set out on a journey from China to India to retrace the footsteps of a famous predecessor Xuanzang (602-664 AD) who had travelled to India to study Buddhism about 1,300 years ago.

As part of the '2006 India-China Friendship year', the two monks, one from the Chinese mainland and the other from Taiwan, will set off from Xi'an on July 19. Their four-month journey will follow Xuanzang's exact route.

Xuanzang travelled from the city of Chang'an, now called Xi'an, in Shaanxi Province, to India to obtain Buddhist scriptures and study and returned 17 years later. His remarkable adventures inspired the Chinese classic, 'A Journey to the West.'

The launch of the project was marked by a ceremony at the Guangxiao Temple in Guangzhou on Friday, 'China Daily' reported.

"The aim is to enhance communication between China and India, and to promote Chinese culture," general secretary of the organising committee, Shi Zhongyao said.

The two monks Mingxian and Huikuan will travel on foot along certain sections of the journey.

They will travel through Pakistan, Nepal and finally to Nalanda in Bihar, the ancient centre of Buddhist learning. Mingxian hoped their journey would promote world peace.

Since Buddhism is very popular in Guangdong, the organisers chose the city to launch the project, Shi said.