Tang Sanzang is modeled after the historical
Tang dynasty Buddhist monk Xuanzang, whose life was the book's inspiration; the real Xuanzang made a perilous journey on foot from China to India (and back) to obtain Buddhist
sutras. In contrast to the historical Xuanzang, a wise and learned scholar (he was in his late 20s when he left for India), the fictional Tang Sanzang is presented as a young monk who is extremely naive, showing idealistic compassion without wisdom. Tang Sanzang is usually quick to fall for the facades of demons who have disguised themselves as innocent humans, as he cannot recognize them, whereas
Sun Wukong can. This frequently leads to tension when Sun Wukong tries to protect him from such threats. One such popular instance was when the
White Bone Demon disguised three times as family members—first, a young woman. After Wukong "killed" the woman, the demon escaped, but Wukong was punished by Tang Sanzang for it. The second was the young woman's elderly mother, looking for her daughter. The third was the young woman's elderly father, searching for his wife and child. Upon the "death" of the father by Wukong's hands, Wukong finally killed the demon before she got away. Tang Sanzang, convinced that Wukong had actually killed three innocent people, sent him away, despite protests. Tang Sanzang usually punishes him by chanting the words of the
Tight-Fillet Spell () given to Tang Sanzang by the bodhisattva Guanyin to control Wukong, which causes the latter's headband to contract and give him acute headaches. Like Sun Wukong, Tang Sanzang is often described as a god of protection.
Ksitigarbha, a highly revered bodhisattva in
East Asian Buddhism, is occasionally mistaken for Tang Sanzang because the former is often portrayed like Tang Sanzang - dressed in a similarly patterned
kasaya robe, wearing a Buddhist crown (an
Ushnisha or a
Black Crown), and wielding a
khakkhara staff. In some depictions or media sometimes Sanzang is depicted as a female monk or nun but this is mostly in Japan. ==Gallery==