Xuanzang Temple

Continue west along the Round-the-Lake Road for about 4.8 kilometers, and you will reach Xuanzang Temple. Master Xuanzang was a distinguished monk during the Tang Dynasty. Feeling that the Buddhist scriptures and treatises translated at the time contained many discrepancies, making it difficult for people to follow, the Master sought to uncover the true meaning of Buddhism. Despite violating the imperial decree of his time, he privately overcame countless difficulties to travel to India to obtain Buddhist scriptures. After seventeen years, he returned to China with 657 volumes of scriptures. Together with his disciples, he translated 75 of these, totaling 1,335 scrolls, making outstanding contributions to the development of Buddhism in China. During the Sino-Japanese War, Japanese forces looted Master Xuanzang's cranial relic from Nanjing and enshrined it at Jion-ji Temple in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It wasn't until 1955 that the sacred relic was brought to Taiwan and temporarily enshrined at Xuanguang Temple, located by Sun Moon Lake. In November 1965, after Xuanzang Temple was completed, the sacred relic was then ceremoniously moved into Xuanzang Temple. Xuanzang Temple features Tang-style architecture, with emerald tiles and vermilion pillars, exuding a simple yet elegant charm. Its serene environment embodies the grand and generous spirit of a traditional Chinese garden. Facing Sun Moon Lake and backed by Qinglong (Green Dragon) Mountain, geomancers consider the temple to occupy a precious site known as 'Green Dragon Playing with a Pearl,' deeming it the most auspicious place to enshrine Master Xuanzang's cranial relic. The Master Xuanzang Cultural Relics Memorial Hall opened to the public on March 28, 2014.