"Tang Priest" was buried in Xi 'an Xingjiao Temple. Why are only two of the three apprentices around?

Master Xuanzang's tomb tower is behind Xingjiao Temple. The tallest one in the center of Ci 'en Tower is 2 1 meter, but there are not many floors, so it is only divided into five floors, which is very solemn. From a distance, the whole building is square, which is a typical square building in Tang Dynasty. Master Xuanzang's tomb tower is made of brick, but it can imitate the wooden structure tower as a whole. It is the oldest brick tower with imitation wooden pavilion structure and the most representative brick tower with imitation wooden pavilion structure.

Master Xuanzang's tomb tower is mainly divided into three parts, namely abutment, tower body and tower brake. There are two Chinese characters "Xingjiao" on the forehead of the tomb tower, which have the same name as the temple. This was inscribed by Tang Suzong personally, symbolizing the prosperity of Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty. The front of the pagoda is engraved with the four characters of "Fuxing Ancient Pagoda", while the east and west sides are engraved with the commonly used Buddhist greeting "Amitabha Buddha".

In fact, Master Xuanzang's burial place was not originally buried in the eastern suburb of Fan Chuan, Chang 'an County. In 664, in the first year of Linde, Tang Gaozong, Master Xuanzang completed his legendary life in Yuhua Temple in Xun County, Shaanxi Province. Because Master Xuanzang left his last words for his burial place after his death, "Choose a secluded place in a mountain stream and don't go near the palace temple", so Tang Gaozong buried Master Xuanzang's ashes and relics in Bailuyuan in the eastern suburb of Xi according to this last word, but later every time Tang Gaozong saw Bailuyuan, he would think of Master Xuanzang's sad tears.

So in 669, Empress Wu Zetian of Tang Gaozong took the initiative to move Master Xuanzang's tomb to Shaocemetery south of Chang 'an, which is now the eastern suburb of Fan Chuan, Chang 'an County, and built Master Xuanzang's tomb tower and Xingjiao Temple on this basis to commemorate Master Xuanzang's contribution to Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty, and Xingjiao Temple became a national protection temple in the Tang Dynasty.

In addition, there are two pavilion-style solid brick towers on the east and west sides of Master Xuan Zang's tomb tower, but they are not high, only three floors. The small tower in the east is the tomb tower of Kui Ji, the most important disciple of Master Xuanzang. It was built in 682, but it was damaged by years and rebuilt in 829. Kui Ji's relics are buried in the tomb tower, and the plaque is engraved with the three characters "Jiye Tower".

The small pagoda in the west is the tomb pagoda measured by another important disciple of Master Xuanzang. It was built in the late Northern Song Dynasty, but its architectural style is modeled after the tomb tower of the Tang Dynasty. Buried in the tomb tower is the round measuring relic, and the plaque is engraved with the three characters "Measuring Tower". The bottom of the two small tomb towers is inlaid with stone carvings, which record their life stories and are now the national key protected cultural relics.