On 14 March, the Chinese community in Kolkata, India, celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Hsuan Tsang Monastery. The monastery is named after Xuanzang (602-64), known as Hsuan Tsang in India, a famous Buddhist monk and scholar from China who travelled to India in the seventh century. The monastery was constructed 50 years ago, by the local Chinese community in Kolkata, the capital city of West Bengal.
To mark the anniversary, the Consulate General of People’s Republic of China in Kolkata, in collaboration with Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou, China, and Cheena Bhavan of Visva-Bharati University in Santiniketan, West Bengal, hosted an international symposium on 15 March. The theme of the symposium was “Buddhist Exchanges between China and India: Past and Future”.
Over 200 Chinese and Indian participants, including Ma Zhanwu, Chinese consul general in Kolkata, Master Huirong of Hsuan Tsang Monastery, Master Guangquan, abbot of Lingyin Temple and head of the Chinese Buddhist Association, and many other dignitaries, were present at the symposium.
“I hope the celebrations will enable the Indian people to learn about Hsuan Tsang in a better way, and about he Chinese Buddhist culture as well as the history of friendly exchanges between the two countries,” noted Consul General Ma Zhanwu. (The Times of India)
