On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v2.c18.s2.3

v2.c18.s2.3

The Vaiśāli country is described by the pilgrim as being above 5000 *li* in circuit, a very fertile region abounding in mangos, plantains and other fruits. The people were honest, fond of good works, esteemers of learning, and orthodox and heterodox in faith. The Buddhist establishments, of which there were some hundreds, were, with the exception of three or four, dilapidated and deserted, and the Brethren were very few. There were some tens of Deva-Temples, the various sects lived pell-mell, and the Digambaras flourished. The foundations of the old city Vaiśāli were 60 or 70 *li* in circuit, and the "Palace-city" (that is, the walled part of the city) was four or five *li* in circuit, and it had few inhabitants. About five *li* to the north-west of the "palace city" was a Buddhist monastery, the few professed Buddhists in which were of the Sammatiya School, and at the side of the monastery was a tope. It was here that the Buddha delivered the *P'i-mo-lo-ki-ching* (毗 摩 羅 詰 經), and that the householder's son Pao-chi and others presented sun-shades to the Buddha.