The Great Tang Dynasty Record of the Western Regions, Volume 1

The Great Tang Dynasty Record of the Western Regions (Ch., Datang xiyu ji, J., Daitô saiiki), in twelve volumes, is an extensive travelogue written by the Chinese monk Xuanzhuang (J., Genjô, 600-664) about his sixteen-year journey to India. Known for bringing back hundreds of sutras from India to China and for translating many Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Chinese, Xuanzhuang exhaustively documented topography, the situation of Buddhism, and the conditions of the temples and relics in the more than 110 kingdoms and 28 lesser-known lands of India and the western regions. He also recorded details on their geography, customs, legends, commerce, and politics. According to the postscript, this volume was completed on the third day of the fourth month of 1102 (Kôwa 4), and is one of the oldest extant copies of this record.

— Museum description: Kyoto National Museum (CC BY 4.0), via ColBase / Japan Search.