About Faxian

Faxian, also known as Fa-Hien, Fa-hsien, and Sehi, was a Chinese Buddhist monk who undertook a challenging journey on foot from China to India in order to obtain Buddhist scriptures. He began his journey at around the age of 60 and spent 10 years in India, visiting important Buddhist sites in Central, South, and Southeast Asia between 399 and 412 CE. Faxian documented his travels in his travelogue called "A Record of Buddhist Kingdoms," which serves as a valuable firsthand account of early Buddhism in India. During his journey, he collected numerous Sanskrit texts, the translations of which had a significant influence on East Asian Buddhism. These texts also provide important historical information about names, events, texts, and ideas related to Buddhism during that time.