Xuanzang, a Buddhist pilgrim who endured a 17-year trek from China to India 1350 years ago, will have his steps retraced by two Buddhist monks.

 

The monks from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, along with two scholars from Hong Kong and Macao, are scheduled to set off on their journey this May from the ancient city of Xi'an, in northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

 

During the six-month trip, they will retrace the routes Xuanzang trekked across Pakistan and Nepal to Nalanda, the once famous center of Buddhist learning in India where Xuanzang used to reside.

 

Xuanzang's travels are well documented in the Chinese literature classic, Journey to the West.

 

But unlike Xuanzang, his successors are not looking for Sanskrit texts. Instead, they are hoping for better communication and cultural exchange between China and India, the Venerable Xuecheng, vice president of the Chinese Buddhist Association, said at a Beijing press conference yesterday.

 

He described the trip as "very significant," as this year marks the Year of China-India Friendship. The journey will also give the public a better understanding of Buddhism, he said.

 

As a representative from Taiwan's Fo Guang Shan Religious Affairs Committee, the Venerable Huikuan said that peace and harmony among peoples are the ultimate goals of the trip.

 

"It is hoped that having a Taiwan monk as a member of the expedition would also promote cultural exchange between the mainland and Taiwan."

 

The group will carry gifts to Nalanda, including a Liuzu Altar Sutra embroidered in silk, a Sakyamuni Statue and a copy of an ancient Chinese book, "Records of the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty" written by Xuanzang's disciple Bianji.

 

"The embroidered Liuzu Altar Sutra is the most valuable gift as it is the only Sutra to have originated in China," said Shi Zhongyao, secretary-general of the trip organizing committee. "Others were all translated from Sanskrit," he added.

 

He also confirmed that the four expedition members have already been chosen, but didn't provide any details. He said the four will walk part of the way and travel by vehicle for the rest. "We don't have enough time to walk the whole way," he said. "It would take at least two years if we did."

 

The Taiwan-based Eastern TV and Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV record the journey and give periodic live broadcasts. Two traditional Chinese painters will also accompany the team. They will record the journey in calligraphy and paintings.

 

Co-sponsors of the expedition are the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), the Chinese Buddhist Association and the Chinese Cultural Promotion Society.

 

Other activities to celebrate the Year of China-India Friendship include two ancient Indian music concerts at the Jiayu Pass, the western end of the Great Wall in northwest China's Gansu Province, and Kuche in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

 

Photo and painting exhibitions will also be held in Beijing and New Delhi at the end of the expedition.

 

(China Daily January 17, 2006)