The Longest Journey West

"Here's the real story behind Sanzang, the unluckiest monk that ever lived. The truth behind the Monkey King, Mister Pig, and the River Ogre!"

— Tagline for the film adaptation of Longest Journey West.

Purpose

To report on the lands of the historical Western Region of Asia, including India and the Middle East. It was written as an encyclopedia compendium.

Document Structure

Clauses

The entire set of records comprises twelve volumes, of 120000 Chinese characters.

Publication Status

Public domain

Historical Details

Background

Xuanzang had gone to India to study Buddhist scriptures 17 years before he had the book written.
This book helped give a clearer picture of the world beyond Tang China's borders.

History

Xuanzang was inspired to go on his longest journey after meeting Faxian, another Buddhist monk who had done so.

Public Reaction

After Xuanzang's report that there were lands further west than India, or Europe for that matter, some enterprising explorers decided to search for the new land themselves.

However, they didn't necessarily report the whole truth back to Emperor Taizong or the emperors after that.

Legacy

Due to Xuanzang's dealings with Indian royalty, he helped foster diplomatic relations between India and Tang China.

The resulting export of seafaring knowledge, religious belief, and manpower became part of the reason why the New World got colonized by Chinese mariners first.

This book also provided inspiration for a storyteller nine centuries later to create a heavily fictional account of Xuanzang, hence popularizing his reputation as a very unlucky monk with supernatural bodyguards.

Read the Document

The Longest Journey West

Partial Contents of The Longest Journey West.

Now the whole empire is uniformly standardized that we use the same characters in writing and our carriages have standard wheels to go in the same ruts. This is the marvelous achievement of his consummate government.

If I did not mention all these points in my Record, I should have nowhere to praise his great exploits, and if I did not publish them abroad, how could I shed light on his profusemerits? Wherever I went in my journey I inquired about the local conditions and customs, and although I did not do research into their locations, nor did I differentiate their social institutions, I believe that the great merits of Emperor Taizong have surpassed those of the three ancient emperors and the five monarchs of old.

All living creatures are benefited by his genial influence and every human being who can speak extols his merits. From the Tang empire up to the land of India all the people, either of secluded regions with different customs or of isolated places and alien countries, accept the Chinese calendar and enjoy the fame and teachings of the Emperor.

— Opening paragraphs to Longest Journey West.

Strangely enough, there are lands far beyond the Western Region. The lands of the white man, and beyond those, a boundless ocean. If perhaps several brave souls would, too, conspire to seek out what lies beyond this ocean and write another record for the Emperor's perusal, we may yet be able to seek out the Buddha's home after enlightenment.

— Translated Appendix of The Longest Journey West

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Type

Record, Historical

Medium

Paper

Authoring Date

646 AD