Robot Monk Aiding in Buddhist Teachings

A robot monk sharing Buddhist teachings has become popular on social media networks in China recently. The robot, named Xian’er, was developed by Longquan Temple in Beijing. He can respond to voice commands and answer simple questions about the teachings of Buddhism. Xian’er has been to several comic fairs across China and he has becoming more popular. Xian’er comes at a time when the number of Buddhists in China is growing. The Chinese Buddhism Association also recently called for more Buddhist cultural innovations using new technological means, with the aim to spread further Buddha’s teachings. More cartoon characters will be created, and the second generation of robot monks is in the works.