Ruins at Xiahe

When the historic Chinese monk Zwang Zang (upon whom the Tang Priest in Journey to the West is based) returned from India in 645 CE, Xiahe was an outpost near Dunhuang. Zwang Zang didn't know if he would be welcomed by Taizong, the Chinese emperor. He had secretly escaped from China to seek the Buddhist scriptures because the Emperor had refused to give him his permission to leave China.

Upon his return, the Emperor was delighted: here was a man who had traveled through the great unknown world and knew about the economic, social, and agricultural aspects of many kingdoms. Zwang Zang waited at the outpost near Dunhuang, which was similar to Xiahe, until he received word of his welcome.

The city of Chang 'An (Xian) welcomed him with flowers and music. The celebration lasted 5 days and hundreds of thousands of people attended, wanting to see this extraordinary person who had traveled through 110 countries, 28 of which had already disappeared upon his return. He had journeyed across deserts, across raging rivers, through blizzards, sandstorms and returned to China with the treasures he had sought: the 657 Buddhist texts.