Xingjiao Temple sits in the Chang'an district about twenty kilometres south of central Xi'an, at the foot of the hills known as Shaoling. It was founded in 669, and its importance comes from one person: Xuanzang, the Tang monk who travelled to India, returned with hundreds of Buddhist texts and spent the rest of his life translating them. His remains were moved here after his death, and the monastery grew around his stupa.
The three pagodas
The centrepiece is a group of three brick pagodas behind the main halls. The tallest is Xuanzang's, a five-storey Tang structure of about twenty-one metres with a simple, tapered profile and brickwork that has survived more than thirteen centuries. Beside it stand two smaller pagodas holding the remains of his disciples Kuiji and Yuance. The bases carry Tang inscriptions belonging to the most important recorded calligraphy of the period, and that is a large part of why the site is protected as national heritage.
The monastery
Xingjiao remains a working Buddhist monastery, not a heritage shell. Monks live here, incense burns in the halls and there are vegetable plots and vegetable gardens behind the courtyards. The main halls are modest in scale but well kept, and the temple grounds - a long courtyard, old trees, stone tablets and quiet paths - are the most peaceful hour you can spend near Xi'an.
Practical information
There is no metro nearby and no convenient public bus, so most visitors come by car or taxi, about forty to fifty minutes from the city centre. The temple is open daily during daylight hours with no admission fee, though donations are welcome and there is a small charge for some halls. Dress modestly and keep voices low; photography is generally allowed in the courtyards but not inside the halls, and never of monks at prayer.
A realistic recommendation
Xingjiao suits travellers who have already seen the big sights and want a quiet Tang site with real religious life. It combines well with a drive into the Zhongnan foothills south of the city, and with the Guanzhong Folk Art Museum, which is in the same direction.
