China Tourism Day: 8 noted travelers around the world

The world is vast and full of uncertainties. For people who have an inexhaustible curiosity and an intrepid spirit, traveling is no doubt one of the best ways to explore the great unkonwn.

About 400 years ago, Chinese explorer and geologist Xu Xiake started his 30-year-long adventure and traveled tens of thousands of miles across China. His notes and study of ancient Chinese geography were unprecedented. To commemorate his adventurous spirit, the day he embarked his journey, May 19, has been set as China Tourism Day.

Here we list eight internationally-acclaimed travelers in history, although they come from different cultures and traveled for different purposes, they are all adventurous, determined, fearless and open-minded. Their travel stories have inspired generations of travelers and will continue to do so in the future.

1 Xuan Zang (602-664)

Xuan Zang was a Chinese Buddhist monk and translator in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) . He was famous for his 17-year overland journey to India to discover the origins of Buddhism.

During his pilgrimage, Xuan Zang studied with many renowned Buddhist masters. When the journey ended, he brought back a large number of Sanskirt texts. He then retired to a monastery and devoted the rest of his life to translating Buddhist texts.

Xuan Zang was a significant historical figure in promoting cultural exchanges between China and India. He documented his journey in detail in Great Tang Records on the Western Regions, which inspired the creation of the classical novel, Journey to the West, written by Wu Cheng'en during the Ming dynasty.