Yangzhou, a scenic city in east China's Jiangsu Province, will hold commemoration activities this November to honor Jianzhen, a prestigious ancient Chinese monk who made the landmark journey to Japan to spread Buddhism 1,250 years ago.

At the sponsorship of the Yangzhou municipal government and the Chinese and Japanese Buddhism associations, the event is intended to promote the Spirit of Jianzhen, a knowledgeable and devoted Buddhist in the imperial Tang Dynasty (618-907), according to a local government source on Wednesday.

Despite five failed attempts, Monk Jianzhen succeeded in his sixth effort to reach the Japanese islands at the invitation of a Buddhist temple there. It took the monk 10 full years to succeed in his endeavor and, afterward, he spent the last decade of his life there spreading the Chinese culture and arts, such as Chinese painting, calligraphy, medicine, sculpture, architecture, printing and craftsmanship.

Jianzhen's work in Japan more than 12 centuries ago contributed to a great extent promote the growth of Japanese civilization. The noted monk has since been highly regarded as a friendship envoy for cultural exchanges between the people of China and Japan.

According to organizers, more than 500 Chinese and Japanese celebrities from the spheres of politics, economics, culture and Buddhism are expected to participate in the commemorative activities including a seminar on the spirit of Jianzhen.

The Chinese and Japanese governments worked jointly to build the Memorial Hall of Monk Jianzhen in 1973 in Yangzhou, where the monk spent some time before leaving for Japan.
 
(Xinhua News Agency August 20, 2003)