Srivijaya's Yijing: The Chinese Monk Who Chronicled an Empire

The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History · Jun 17, 2026 · 8m · transcript

In the late 7th century, the Chinese Buddhist monk Yijing traveled to Srivijaya and spent over a decade studying and translating scriptures. His detailed accounts provide one of the most valuable firsthand descriptions of the empire's society, economy, and Buddhist practices. This episode follows his journey from Tang China to Palembang, his time at Srivijaya's monasteries, and his travels to Nalanda. We explore what his writings reveal about Srivijayan education, trade, and the lives of monks. Along the way, we examine controversies over his claims about the number of monks and the…