Xianfian joined the temple as a monk in 2011, and first conceived of Xian'er as a cartoon drawing. It isn't clear when the robot went into service, but it has since been showcased at numerous ...

A chubby, chatty robot might be the most popular Buddhist monk in China. At Beijing’s Longquan Temple, Xian’er is based on a cartoon character.

Robot Xian’er is placed next to Master Xianfan while Xianfan has an interview with Reuters at Longquan Buddhist temple on the outskirts of Beijing, April 20, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon ...