Xingjiaosi Pagodas Introduction

(1) Contribution to the Silk Roads' OUV

Xingjiaosi Pagodas preserve the Sariras of Xuanzang, the most eminent figure in the history of Buddhism dissemination, and his disciples. It showcased Buddhism's development after its arrival in Chang'an via the Silk Roads and its influence on Korean Peninsula. The three Xingjiaosi Pagodas buried three patriarchs of Vijnaptimātratā School (Weishi School), and the Xingjiao Temple is an important site of Vijnaptimātratā School in Buddhism and holds a great position in the history of Buddhism dissemination and cultural interchange between China and India.

(2) General Information

Xingjiaosi Pagodas are located in Xingjiao Temple of Du Qu, a small town in the Chang’an district of Xi’an, Shaanxi province, on the edge of the Shaoling Terrace. The West yard of Xingjiao Temple is called the “Ci'en pagoda Courtyard” with three pagodas—the Xuanzang Pagoda, the Kuiji Pagoda and the Yuance Pagoda—arrayed like the shape of the Chinese character “ 品” roughly triangle. Among them, the Xuanzang Pagoda was built in 669 during the Tang Dynasty. The square pagoda with five floors faces the south. It is 21 meters high with a 5.2m side length of its ground floor . The underlying north wall is embedded with an inscription describing the birth, conversion, ordainment of Xuanzang and his sutras seeking journey and translation work. The inscription can be traced back to the fourth year of the Kaicheng period of Tang Dynasty (839). The Kuiji Pagoda was built in 682 (Tang Dynasty). Sitting in the north and facing the south, the pagoda is a square threefloor pavilion-style building made of bricks. With a height of 6.76 meters and a 2.4m side length of its ground floor, the pagoda also has inscriptions on its north and south walls. As for the 7.1m high Yuance Pagoda, it was built in 1115 (Song Dynasty) with the same shape like that of Kuiji Pagoda. An inscription about building the pogoda to keep eminent monk Yuance’ Sariras can be found on the northern wall of ground floor, and another one on the second floor, named “Inscription of Ce Shi (meaning Master Yuance) Pagoda”. Among the three pagodas, Xuanzang pagoda sits in the center, and that of his disciples on two sides, with clear hierarchy.

(3) Attributes

Xuanzang Pagoda and Kuiji Pagoda out of the three pagodas in Xingjiao Temple, as the only existing squareshaped pavillion style pagodas of Tang Dynasty, are typical examples of the transmission of Indian Buddhist tomb architecture "stupa" to Central China and the further localization in China. According to historical records, Yuance, the desciple of Xuanzang, was descendent of the King of Silla on the Korean Peninsula and also a known master of Weishi School in Buddhism, his pagoda and inscriptions reflect the development of Buddhism in Central China and the further influence on Korean Peninsula.

The Xuanzang Pagoda is directly associated with Xuanzang, the impor tant monk in the histor y of

Buddhism transmission (see the description of the Great Wild Goose Pagoda for the bio of Xuanzang).

Monk Kuiji (632-682), disciple of Xuanzang, was buried in the Kuiji Pagoda. As the righthand man for Xuanzang, Kuiji was familiar with the Buddhism scr iptures and made many notes and interpretations for the scriptures translation by Xuanzang120. His pagoda is an impor tant evidence to prove that Buddhism was transmitted to Chang'an di s t r ict. The Yuance Pagoda preserves the sariras of the eminent monk Yuance (613-696) moved from Zhongnanshan Mountain in Song Dynasty. It is said that Yuance was a descendent of Silla. Therefore his pagoda has witnessed the influence of Buddhism on the Korean Peninsula after it was introduced to Chang’an through the Silk Roads. The Tang and Song inscriptions embedded on the Pagodas not only confirm the identity and the age of the pagodas, but also provide precious materials about the life of the three monks and the transmission of Buddhism in their time. Xuanzang’s tenacity in spirit, huge contribution to Buddhism transmission, and precious historic and geographic records of Central Asia in his book Da Tang Xi Yu Ji (Great Tang Records on the Western Regions), make him well-known in the history of interchange via the Silk Roads. As the sarira pagodas of Xuanzang and his disciples, Xingjiaosi Pagodas are closely related to his journey along the Silk Roads to India, which reflects the dissemination of Buddhism and cultural interchange between the East and West. It also illustrates the history of Xuanzang and his disciples translating Buddhist sutras and disseminating Buddhism in East Asia.