Context:
India and China are discussing a joint UNESCO nomination of “The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions”, based on the travels of the Chinese Buddhist monk Xuanzang (Hsuan Tsang) in 7th-century India. The initiative reflects efforts by BRICS countries to promote collaborative nominations for shared cultural heritage.
Explanation:
- Xuanzang (602–664 CE) was a Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, and traveller who visited India during the reign of Harshavardhana.
- He spent about 17 years in India, studying Buddhism and collecting manuscripts.
- Xuanzang studied at Nalanda University, one of the world’s greatest ancient centres of learning.
- His work, “The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions” (Da Tang Xiyu Ji), provides valuable information on the political, social, economic, and religious conditions of 7th-century India.
- UNESCO promotes protection of cultural and natural heritage through programmes such as World Heritage Sites, Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), and the Memory of the World Programme.
- Joint nominations allow multiple countries to safeguard and promote shared cultural traditions and historical records.
- Other heritage elements discussed include Panchatantra, Sowa-Rigpa (Traditional Tibetan Medicine), and Buddhist cultural linkages across Asia.
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Xuanzang Records and India–China Heritage Diplomacy