I felt very honored to have received a private, after-hours tour of Xuan Zang Memorial Hall by Dr. Panth. He explained the joint effort between China and India of creating this memorial in honor of Xuan Zang(Hieung-Tsang), 603 A.D.to 664 A.D., who traveled to India and then back to China. He translated the beautiful Heart Sutra from Buddha's teachings. The Memorial Hall contains a very large statue of Xuan Zang. China contributed beautiful copper story panels of Xuan Zang's life and India contributed paintings of his life. The ceiling contains copies of cave paintings found in India. The Chinese also contributed an impressive map of Xuan Zang's travels to and from India, while the Indians created a walkway with reflections from Xuan Zang's life.
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| Xuan Zang Memorial Hall |
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| Xuan Zang |
To the right of the Memorial Hall is a bell with the Heart Sutra inscribed in Chinese and Sanskrit/Devngari script. I was invited to strike the bell three times, for Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, and experience the vibratory ringing after each time. The bell is surrounded with beautiful, white lotus flower reliefs.
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| Heart Sutra Bell |
This hall was started in the 1950s but was not completed until 2007. Construction for a guest house area to provide lodging for visitors and a meditation center has begun. This hall is situated away from the village noise from traffic and music. It is in a beautiful, peaceful, and quiet setting.
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