中國的旅行活動觸發了山水文學的創作，所以山水文學可以說是源自於旅行活動。然而，佛教旅行書寫不是僅為了欣賞沿途景物，也不是逐臣、文人、騷客、思婦、遊子等人的情感抒發，而是為了心靈的省思、是心智的考驗。因此，佛教旅行書寫有「自我」與「他者」相遇的過程，也有「移動」與「凝視」雙重面向的活動，其內容不但蘊含當地的地理環境或相關的人文風俗、典故、傳說與名人軼事，更是有書寫者本身生命歷程的呈現。藉由不同時空背景的佛教旅行書寫，可以了解作者透過自身的感官，感知到的周遭世界，以及他們與他方人事物相互碰撞後藉由他人的眼睛看到的自己、建構的「自我」。

Buddhist travel writing involves the encounter between “self” and “other”, as well as dual-faceted activities of “movement” and “gaze”. Its content not only contains the local geographical environment or related cultural customs, allusions, legends and celebrities, but also reflect the writer’s own life journey. It is not just for appreciating the scenery along the way, nor is it an expression of emotions by exiled officials, literati, poets, women missing their husbands, and wanderers, but it is for perception through senses, reflection, and the transformation of the author-a Buddhist practicer. Buddhist travel writing is about a journey of recontruct of self.