Pilgrimage in the Land of Lord Buddha

Hsuan Tsang finally came to the Indian Subcontinent, which he described as "surrounded on three sides by the sea with snowy mountains in the north; broad in the north and narrow in the south, shaped like a half moon." After visiting the scenic Kashmir Valley, he traveled east along the fertile Ganges plain, where the Buddha had explained his teachings. Following Hsuan Tsang's steps, we visited Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha; Kapilavastu, where the Buddha grew up; Bodhgaya, where the Buddha reached enlightenment; Sarnath, where the Buddha gave his first sermon; Kusinagara, where the Buddha entered nirvana; and Nalanda Temple, where Hsuan Tsang studied for five years.