Hsüan Tsang

Born circa 600; died 664. Chinese traveler. Buddhist monk.

From 629 to 645, Hsüan Tsang traveled in Middle and Central Asia and India. In his work Ta T’ang hsi yü chi (Notes on the Countries of the West), concluded in 648, he provided much information on the geography, ethnography, and history of the regions he visited, including the Tien-Shan and the Pamirs.