Wang ocheonchukguk jeon

Wang ocheonchukguk jeon[a] (Korean pronunciation: [waːŋ.o.tɕʰʌn.tɕʰuk.k͈uk.tɕ͈ʌn]; "An account of travel to the five Indian kingdoms") is a travelogue by Buddhist monk Hyecho from the Kingdom of Silla, who traveled from Korea to India, in the years 723 - 727/728 CE.

Written in Classical Chinese, the lingua franca of East Asia at the time, the work was long thought to be lost.

[3] It was loaned to the National Museum of Korea and went on display there from Dec. 18, 2010 to April 3, 2011, 1283 years after the document was first written.

[1] One of the important excerpts from Hyecho's work relates to his visit Jibin (Kapisa) in 726 CE: for example, he reports that the country was ruled by a Turk King, thought to be one of the Turk Shahis, and that his Queen and dignitaries practice Buddhism (三寶, "Triratna"):[4][5] 又從此覽波國而行入山。經於八日程。至罽賓國。此國亦是建馱羅王所管。此王夏在罽賓。逐涼而坐。冬往建馱羅。趁暖而住。彼即無雪。暖而不寒。其罽賓國冬天積雪。為此冷也。此國土人是胡。王及兵馬突厥。衣著言音食飲。與吐火羅國。大同少異。無問男之與女。並皆著[疊*毛]布衫袴及靴。男女衣服無有差別。男人並剪鬚髮。女人髮在。土地出駝騾羊馬驢牛[疊*毛]布蒲桃大小二麥欝金香等。國人大敬信三寶。足寺足僧。百姓家各絲造寺。供養三寶。大城中有一寺。名沙糸寺。寺中貝佛螺髻骨舍利見在王官百姓每日供養。此國行小乘。亦住山裏山頭無有草木。恰似火燒山也 From Lampaka (覽波國, Kashmir), I again entered the mountains.

The natives of the country are Hu (Barbarians) people; the king and the cavalry are Turks (突厥, "Tuque").

The dress, language, and food of this place are mostly similar to Tokharistan (吐火羅國), though there are small differences.

The products of this land include camels, mules, sheep, horses, asses, cotton cloth, grapes, barley, wheat, and saffron.

At present, the curly hair (ushnisha, 螺髻) and the relic bones of the Buddha are to be seen in the monastery.

The king, the royal consort, the prince, and the chiefs build monasteries separately and worship the Three Jewels (...) The city [probably the capital Udabhandapura][9] is built on the northern bank of the great Indus river.

Three days' travel from this city to the west, there is a great monastery (...) called Kaniska.