Fa Hsien, Faxian (337 - 422)

Fa-Hsien, Fa-Hien or Faxian, was a Chinese Buddhist monk, who, His journey is described in his work A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms, Being an Account by the Chinese Monk Fa-Hien of his Travels in India and Ceylon in Search of the Buddhist Books of Discipline - books of the Buddhist canon and images of Buddhist deities.

Fa-hsien was one of China´s greatest traveler of the fifth century.
Between year 339 (at the age of 65) to 412, he travelled to India and Sri Lanka to bring Buddhist scriptures. He practically walked from central China (AD 399), across the Taklamakan desert, over the Pamir Plateau, and through India down to the mouth of Rupnarayan River in Tamluk. Tamluk is an ancient city of West Bengal state in India. From there he took a ship and returned by sea to his homeland China, sailing via Ceylon and Sumatra, across the Indian Ocean and the China Sea, and finally reaching Chienkand (China), in AD 413.

In AD 414, he recorded his travels in 'Record of Buddhist Countries' today known as the 'Travels of Fa-Hsien'. It is an excellent geographic account of his journey along the Silk Roads, and an comprehensive report of the history and customs of Central Asia and India.