Why these two travellers matter
Much of what is firmly known about Nalanda in its prime comes from two Chinese Buddhist monks who spent years there in the seventh century. Their written records survive, they overlap with archaeology in useful ways, and they are the reason Nalanda is so vividly described compared with many other ancient Indian sites. Both belong to the larger tradition of Chinese pilgrim monks who crossed Asia to reach the Buddha’s homeland.
Xuanzang at Nalanda
Xuanzang left China in the late 620s (the exact year is debated) and spent about sixteen years travelling, returning in the mid-640s with a large collection of texts. He reached Nalanda in the 630s and stayed for a period commonly given as around five years, studying under the senior teacher Silabhadra. His record, the Great Tang Records on the Western Regions, and a biography written by his disciples, describe the monastery in detail.
Features highlighted in these works include:
- A walled complex of many courtyards, with buildings of several storeys and ornamented roofs.
- A community said to number in the thousands, supported by revenue from villages given as endowments.
- Daily lectures, and discussions that continued from morning until evening.
- Strict standards: monks were expected to study seriously, and those who did not were reportedly looked down upon.
- A high bar to entry, with scholars at the gates asking difficult questions.
Xuanzang also reports that the community was supported by rulers, and he describes brick temples and a large standing image associated with the site. He mentions that Emperor Ashoka was credited with a founding gift, which he presumably heard from local tradition rather than seeing recorded.
Yijing at Nalanda
Yijing arrived a generation later, in the 670s, and stayed about ten years in the area according to the usual account. He wrote about monastic discipline and daily practice in a work often titled A Record of Buddhist Practices Sent Home from the Southern Sea, and in biographies of Chinese pilgrims. His interests were different from Xuanzang’s. He gives practical detail, from rules about hygiene and robes to the way meals and bathing were organised.
Yijing’s totals for the community are not identical to Xuanzang’s, and he also describes several hundred villages’ worth of support in general terms. As with all such figures, treat them as indicative rather than exact. His reports on monastic education and on how Chinese visitors found study at Nalanda are valuable to anyone interested in monastic education across Asia.
Reading these accounts with care
Pilgrim accounts are precious but not neutral. A few cautions help:
- Purpose. Xuanzang wrote for a Chinese court and audience, partly to document his journey and its justification, and his biography was shaped by devoted followers.
- Hearsay. Stories of Ashoka or the Buddha at Nalanda come from tradition and local guides, not from a chronicler checking records.
- Numbers. Totals for monks and villages, and the length of stay, vary between sources and translations.
- Translation. Early Western translations contain choices that later scholars have revised.
On the other hand, many of their descriptions match findings in the excavations, including the pattern of monastery courtyards and the presence of large temples. That agreement is a main reason Cunningham could confidently identify the site in the nineteenth century.
What they do not tell us
The Chinese records say little about what happened to Nalanda after their visits. The fuller picture of the institution, including its scholars’ lineages and its later years, depends on Tibetan histories, inscriptions and seals. The wider overview in our piece on ancient Nalanda places these accounts in that setting, and the end of the monastery is treated separately in our article on its destruction.
Following their route today
Some travellers choose to read excerpts of these accounts before visiting the ruins. Translations vary in quality, so choose one from a reputable academic publisher or library. Check current official information about access to the site, and be prepared for heat and humidity depending on the season. This is general background only, not travel advice.