during the prosperous zhen guan era of the tang dynasty, 33-year-old monk xuan zang (played by huang xiaoming) risks his life to cross the border for seeking the essence of buddhism. he encounters countless difficulties, natural and man-made disasters along the way, but he also gets a better understanding of the sufferings of the common people. after a series of hardships, including encirclement by soldiers, betrayal by apprentices, burial in the sand and the lack of food, he arrives in india where he promoted kindness and mediated on buddhism. as he comes back to china after winning a debate at kumbh mela, he is already over 50 years old.