Xuan Zang (2016 Film)

Xuan Zang’s life has been the subject of many books, TV series and films over the years, and rightly so as it is one of the most courageous stories in the long history of Buddhism.

Xuan Zang was a Chinese Buddhist monk who was born during the Tang dynasty, and eventually travelled to India over deserts and mountains in search of the true Dharma.

He left China in 629 and spent years on the road before arriving at the great Nalanda University in 637, where he studied for five years, before making a tour of India and eventually returning to China in 645.

This two-hour film is a co-production between China and India, and has been much touted during its production for various reasons.

A lot of time is spent on the difficulties Xuan Zang had crossing out of China and across the silk roads, and some of the hardships and difficulties he had to overcome on his quest.

The second half sees the success of his journey when in India, and how he himself became one of the great students of the Yogacara philosophy he embraced under the guidance of his teacher Ven Silabhadra.

The film is in very widescreen format 2.5:1, with the first half mainly in Mandarin, and the second in Hindi, both with English subtitles.