Fa Xian

(noun)

A Chinese traveler who recorded detailed observations about his experience in the Gupta Empire in his journal. It was later published.

Related Terms

Examples of Fa Xian in the following topics:

  • The Golden Age of India

    • Fa Xian was one of the first Chinese travelers to visit India during the reign of Gupta Emperor Chandragupta II.
    • During his stay in India, until c. 411 CE, Fa Xian went on a pilgrimage to Mathura, Kanauj, Kapilavastu, Kushinagar, Vaishali, Pataliputra, Kashi, and Rajgriha.

  • The Fall of the Han and the Three Kingdoms Period

    • The General would then replace Emperor Shao with the Prince of Cheniliu, known as Emperor Xian.
    • Xian would be the last emperor of the Han Dynasty.
    • When Cao Cao died in 220 CE, Emperor Xian abdicated the throne, claiming that he had failed to keep the Mandate of Heaven.

  • The Mandate of Heaven

    • The Zhou established authority by forging alliances with regional nobles, and founded their new dynasty with its capital at Fenghao (near present-day Xi'an, in western China).

  • The Eastern Han Period

    • After Cao Cao's death, his son Cao Pi forced Emperor Xian to give up his throne to him.

  • The Qin Dynasty

    • He had a massive tomb created for him on Mount Li, near modern-day Xi'an, and was buried there when he died.

  • Technological Advancements under the Song

    • Mathematician Yang Hui's 1261 book provided the earliest Chinese illustration of Pascal's triangle, although it had earlier been described by Jia Xian in around 1100.

  • Rise of the Tang Dynasty

    • Its territory, acquired through the military campaigns of its early rulers, rivaled that of the Han dynasty, and the Tang capital at Chang'an (present-day Xi'an) was the most populous city in the world.

  • The Rise of the Han Dynasty

    • The spirit-soul, which went to the afterlife paradise of immortals, called xian, and the body-soul, which remained in its earthly tomb.

  • Chinese Philosophy

    • The second was concerned with fa, or laws, regulations, and standards.

  • The Northern Song Era

    • Wang Anshi's "New Policies Group" (Xin Fa), also known as the "Reformers," were opposed by the ministers in the "Conservative" faction led by the historian and chancellor Sima Guang (1019–1086).