Depicting Xuanzang’s Pilgrimage: Buddhist Devotion and Sino-Indian Cultural Exchange in Tang Painting
Abstract
During the Tang dynasty (618–907), the monk Xuanzang took on a pilgrimage to India in search of authentic Buddhist sutras. His experience, later recorded in Da Tang Xiyu Ji (Record of the Western Regions), greatly influenced the growth of Buddhism in the East Asian and became a recurring theme in art. This study focuses on a representative painting of Xuanzang’s journey to explore the cultural and religious exchanges between China and India. Using art-historical analysis and visual analysis, the research examines the painting’s composition, use of colors, artistic style, and techniques to identify how the artist conveys Xuanzang’s religious devotion and cultural significance. This approach allows to reflect on the historical and cultural meaning within the context of Tang dynasty art, leading to the research question: How does the artwork of Xuanzang’s pilgrimage reflect his devotion to Buddhism and show cultural exchanges during his journey to India in the Tang dynasty of China? The findings suggest that the artworks not only show Xuanzang’s spiritual dedication but also reflect cross-cultural exchanges along the Silk Road, highlighting its role in contributing to the spread and development of Buddhism in China through his translations of sacred texts.
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