Meet Xian'er - the robot monk

Meet Xian'er, the product of artificial intelligence and Buddhism.

"Buddhism is ancient, but Buddhists are modern." – Ven. Master Xuecheng

Longquan Monastery in Beijing challenges the mix of tradition with technology, having them work in unison for the betterment of society.

With many scholars and professors at the monastery, they find unique ways for Buddhism and traditional Chinese culture to reach the world through the use of technology.

Xian'er originally is a cartoon character. [Cartoon: Longquan Monastery]

Their robot monk is one such example. Originally created as a cute cartoon character, Xian'er has evolved with the times and is now a robot, answering a plethora of questions in his cute, quirky way. Not only does he have his own animation series, but he also takes questions from the public through his social media accounts, questions that will be factored into his next upgrade.