Kūkai's Journey to Tang: The Millennium Bond at Chi'an, Xiapu
Kūkai’s Journey to Tang: The Millennium Bond at Chi’an, Xiapu Geographical Map Chi’an Village (Xiapu County), Former Site of Wenma County, Kaiyuan Temple (Fuzhou), Xi’an (Tang Chang’an), Mount Kōya (Wakayama Prefecture), Matsuura (Departure point in Kyushu). Introduction: The Vermilion Shores After the Storm In 804 AD (the 20th year of the Zhenyuan era of the Tang Dynasty), a Japanese diplomatic ship, having drifted for 34 days at sea, narrowly escaped destruction in a violent storm and found refuge at a small fishing village in eastern Fujian—Chi’an. Among the survivors was a young monk named Kūkai, who would later found the Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism and be revered as “Kōbō Daishi.” This “beautiful accident” not only reshaped the religious history of Japan but also transformed Chi’an into a brilliant landmark in the millennium-long history of Sino-Japanese exchange. ...