Question

Why was Xuanzang's journey out of China (in the early 7th century CE) so important?

A) He traveled as a Buddhist pilgrim to India, returning with hundreds of texts and relics.
B) He traveled as a government emissary to India to make alliances with Indian kings on behalf of the emperor.
C) He traveled along the Silk Road as a merchant, making it as far as Europe, and wrote his experiences in a famous book called Journey to the West.
D) He led an army that brought Korea under Chinese control for the first time.​

Answer 1

A) He traveled as a Buddhist pilgrim to India, returning with hundreds of texts and relics.

Step-by-step explanation:

Xuanzang's journey out of China in the early 7th century CE was significant because he embarked on a pilgrimage to India in search of Buddhist scriptures and knowledge. He traveled overland along the Silk Road, facing numerous challenges and dangers on his way. Xuanzang spent many years in India, studying at renowned Buddhist centers and collecting a vast number of sacred texts and relics.

Upon his return to China, Xuanzang's extensive collection of scriptures and his knowledge of Indian Buddhism greatly contributed to the spread and development of Buddhism in China. He played a crucial role in translating the scriptures into Chinese, which had a profound impact on the intellectual and religious history of China. Xuanzang's journey and his efforts to preserve and transmit Buddhist teachings had a lasting influence on Chinese Buddhism and its subsequent development.