Xuanzang (film)
Xuanzang or Xuan Zang is a 2016 Chinese-Indian historical adventure film that dramatizes the life of Xuanzang (602—664), a Buddhist monk and scholar. The film depicts his arduous nearly two-decade overland journey to India during the Tang dynasty on a mission to bring Buddhist scriptures to China. The film is directed by Huo Jianqi and produced by Wong Kar-wai. It stars Huang Xiaoming as Xuanzang, and includes cameo or short performances by other accomplished actors including Kent Tong, Purba Rgyal, Sonu Sood and Tan Kai. It was released in China on 29 April 2016, with distribution in China by China Film Group Corporation. It was selected as the Chinese entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards but was not nominated. It won the Golden Angel Award Film and the best screenwriter categories at the 12th Chinese American Film Festival and was nominated in several categories at the 31st Golden Rooster Awards

Plot
During the Tang dynasty's era of "Zhen Guan" (of Emperor Taizong), Xuan Zang, a young Buddhist monk, in his quest to find the essence of Buddhism, embarks on a journey to India, that is fraught with perils and dangers. He encounters natural disasters, and sees the sufferings of the common people. Soldiers get in his way, his disciple betrays him, he struggles through deserts, is short on food and water,  and traverses treacherous snow-covered mountain ranges. He finally arrives in India, and studies Buddhism in earnest. By the time he returns to China, he is a little over 40 years old and he then devotes the remainder of his life to translating and studying the Sanskrit scriptures that he carried back from India. The screen play is largely based on a biography by Sramana Huili, a Tang dynasty Buddhist priest. Xuanzang's works and his biography were also inspiration for the Classic Ming dynasty novel "Journey to the West" purportedly by Wu Ch'eng-en, and translated by Arthur Waley in his allegorical book "Monkey", published by Allen and Unwin Ltd in 1942. This later fanciful folktale primarily deals with the exploits of Sun Wu Kong (“the Monkey King”), who is Xuanzang, protector rather than Xuanzang himself. According to the film credits the real-life Xuanzang may have traveled 25,000 kilometers during his 19-year journey and visited 110 countries. Xuanzang’s life depicted in the film and the novel “Journey to the West” share  an overall theme, i.e. : his quest to bring Buddhist Scriptures to Tang dynasty China. In addition, there are subtle parallels, for example, in order to start his journey Xuanzang must get past 5 watchtowers where there are warrants for his arrest. As noted in the Chasing Dramas: all things Chinese drama website (which has a detailed summary of the plot), “the 5 watchtowers are changed to the 5 mountain peaks or 五行山 which represent the hand of the Ru Lai Buddha. The Monkey King 孙悟空 wreaked havoc and tried to escape the heavens but the [Buddha] used his hands to create five mountain peaks that the Monkey King could not escape. The monkey king was imprisoned under the mountain until he was rescued by his teacher, Xuan Zang." In another example, in the film Xuanzang, nearly dies of thirst in the desert but is rescued by his old wise horse. In the novel, “Xuan Zang has a trusty steed the White Dragon Horse or 白龙马. The White Dragon Horse was actually a dragon prince who serves as Xuan Zang’s steed for his journey.”

