Xuanzang Biography

Xuanzang (/ˈʃwɑːnˈtsæŋ/; Chinese: 玄奘; pinyin: Xuánzàng; Wade–Giles: Hsüan-tsang [ɕɥɛ̌ntsâŋ]; fl. c. 602 – 664) was a Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveller, and translator who travelled to India in the seventh century and described the interaction between Chinese Buddhism and Indian Buddhism during the early Tang dynasty. Born in what is now Henan province around 602, from boyhood he took to reading religious books, including the Chinese classics and the writings of ancient sages.