best journey to the west

Literature & Fiction
Humor & Satire

Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime Try Prime and start saving today with fast, free delivery

Amazon Prime includes:

Fast, FREE Delivery is available to Prime members. To join, select "Try Amazon Prime and start saving today with Fast, FREE Delivery" below the Add to Cart button.

Cardmembers earn 5% Back at Amazon.com with a Prime Credit Card.
Unlimited Free Two-Day Delivery
Streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows with limited ads on Prime Video.
A Kindle book to borrow for free each month - with no due dates
Listen to over 2 million songs and hundreds of playlists
Unlimited photo storage with anywhere access

Important: Your credit card will NOT be charged when you start your free trial or if you cancel during the trial period. If you're happy with Amazon Prime, do nothing. At the end of the free trial, your membership will automatically upgrade to a monthly membership.

Return this item for free

We offer easy, convenient returns with at least one free return option: no shipping charges. All returns must comply with our returns policy.

Go to your orders and start the return
Select your preferred free shipping option
Drop off and leave!

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required .

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

Image Unavailable

The Journey to the West, Revised Edition, Volume 1 (Volume 1)

To view this video download Flash Player

Follow the author

The Journey to the West, Revised Edition, Volume 1 (Volume 1) Paperback – Illustrated, December 21, 2012

Purchase options and add-ons.

Anthony C. Yu’s translation of The Journey to the West ,initially published in 1983, introduced English-speaking audiences to the classic Chinese novel in its entirety for the first time. Written in the sixteenth century, The Journey to the West tells the story of the fourteen-year pilgrimage of the monk Xuanzang, one of China’s most famous religious heroes, and his three supernatural disciples, in search of Buddhist scriptures. Throughout his journey, Xuanzang fights demons who wish to eat him, communes with spirits, and traverses a land riddled with a multitude of obstacles, both real and fantastical. An adventure rich with danger and excitement, this seminal work of the Chinese literary canonis by turns allegory, satire, and fantasy. With over a hundred chapters written in both prose and poetry, The Journey to the West has always been a complicated and difficult text to render in English while preserving the lyricism of its language and the content of its plot. But Yu has successfully taken on the task, and in this new edition he has made his translations even more accurate and accessible. The explanatory notes are updated and augmented, and Yu has added new material to his introduction, based on his original research as well as on the newest literary criticism and scholarship on Chinese religious traditions. He has also modernized the transliterations included in each volume, using the now-standard Hanyu Pinyin romanization system. Perhaps most important, Yu has made changes to the translation itself in order to make it as precise as possible. One of the great works of Chinese literature, The Journey to the West is not only invaluable to scholars of Eastern religion and literature, but, in Yu’s elegant rendering, also a delight for any reader.

Book 1 of 4 The Journey to the West Series
Print length 576 pages
Language English
Publisher University of Chicago Press
Publication date December 21, 2012
Dimensions 6 x 1.4 x 9 inches
ISBN-10 022681680X
ISBN-13 978-0226816807
See all details

Frequently bought together

Customers who bought this item also bought

The Journey to the West, Revised Edition, Volume 2 (Volume 2)

Editorial Reviews

About the author.

Anthony C. Yu is the Carl Darling Buck Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus in Humanities and Professor, The Divinity School, Departments of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, English Language and Literature, Comparative Literature, and the Committee on Social Thought, The University of Chicago.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0226971325
Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of Chicago Press; Revised edition (December 21, 2012)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 576 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 022681680X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0226816807
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.68 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.4 x 9 inches
#7 in Religious Literature & Fiction
#11 in Fiction Satire

Videos for this product

Click to play video

Customer Review: GREAT

About the author

Wu cheng'en.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 5 star 84% 11% 3% 1% 1% 84%
5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 4 star 84% 11% 3% 1% 1% 11%
5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 3 star 84% 11% 3% 1% 1% 3%
5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 2 star 84% 11% 3% 1% 1% 1%
5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 1 star 84% 11% 3% 1% 1% 1%

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Customers say

Customers find the book wonderful and capable in many ways. They also say the humor is good and the story is enticing. Opinions are mixed on the writing style, with some finding it fascinating and perfect for beginners, while others find it unreadable and long.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Customers find the book wonderful, and say it improves with every reading. They also say the poetry lightens the reading, and the characters are capable in many ways.

"...to the Chinese original as can be hoped, and yet reads as sprightly and as uproariously as though it were, in fact, the original...." Read more

"... It's a must read ." Read more

"...if you don’t have good knowledge on Chinese culture, but the book itself is great !" Read more

"...His loyalty to the Monk never feels solidified, however he seems to function perfectly well under the critical tutelage of the Monkey King and the..." Read more

Customers find the story enticing, unique, and incredible. They also say the book adds a modern-time perspective to an ancient story.

"...These additions admirably fill out the narrative and setting delivered to us so seamlessly by Yu...." Read more

"...The book adds a unique , modern-time perspective to this ancient story." Read more

"I am only halfway through this book and I love it. The story is so enticing that I don't want to put the book down...." Read more

"...The intro is very long-winded but informative . Unfortunately it lasts the first 100 pages, has only 25 chapters, and the rest are notes after that." Read more

Customers find the book entertaining and a good laugh.

"...courage, wisdom, practicality, and, on the top of everything, a great sense of humor ...." Read more

"...To my surprise, it appears to have been intended to be fun , and, despite the intervening centuries, I often found it such...." Read more

"... It's a good laugh ." Read more

"A comprehensive and entertaining take on a Chinese classic :-)" Read more

Customers are mixed about the writing style. Some find the notes fascinating and the translation great. They also say the introduction is helpful and the book is an insanely important piece of Chinese literature that continues to be relevant. However, others find it unreadable, archaic, and boring. They say the electronic presentation is inadequate.

"...So Yu's translation is copiously endnoted, and these notes are full of fascinating material on the religious and philosophical environment in which..." Read more

"...long journey to the west is, but it’s such an insanely important piece of Chinese literature that continues to be relevant in the modern day I..." Read more

"...He is the most benevolent, spiritually pure individual imaginable who is singularly driven by his unshakable convictions and principled Buddhist mind..." Read more

"It’s a fun read! The introduction is very dense and almost impossible to understand if you don’t have good knowledge on Chinese culture, but the..." Read more

Reviews with images

Journey to the west

Sort reviews by Top reviews Most recent Top reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. please try again later..

Top reviews from other countries

Amazon Newsletter
About Amazon
Accessibility
Sustainability
Press Center
Investor Relations
Amazon Devices
Amazon Science
Sell on Amazon
Sell apps on Amazon
Supply to Amazon
Protect & Build Your Brand
Become an Affiliate
Become a Delivery Driver
Start a Package Delivery Business
Advertise Your Products
Self-Publish with Us
Become an Amazon Hub Partner
› See More Ways to Make Money
Amazon Visa
Amazon Store Card
Amazon Secured Card
Amazon Business Card
Shop with Points
Credit Card Marketplace
Reload Your Balance
Amazon Currency Converter
Your Account
Your Orders
Shipping Rates & Policies
Amazon Prime
Returns & Replacements
Manage Your Content and Devices
Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
Registry & Gift List
Conditions of Use
Privacy Notice
Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure
Your Ads Privacy Choices

Journey to the West Research

A repository for research on the great 16th-century chinese classic, archive #11 – pdfs of the journey to the west 2012 revised edition.

Note : The additional archived translations have been moved to a new location. See the 08-09-23 update below.

Last updated : 08-09-2023

Here I present PDFs comprising the complete four volume 2012 revised edition of The Journey to the West ( Xiyouji , 西遊記 ) translated by Anthony C. Yu (October 6, 1938 – May 12, 2015). This is considered THE most accurate translation of the tale available. I hope those who read and enjoy the digital version will support the official release.

Yu was Carl Darling Buck Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus in the Humanities and Professor Emeritus of Religion and Literature in the Chicago Divinity School . I shared a long email correspondence with Prof. Yu, during which we became friends. He was always quick to answer my many questions. His translation remains a treasure trove of explanatory notes and sources.

1. Book blurb

Anthony C. Yu’s translation of The Journey to the West , initially published in 1983, introduced English-speaking audiences to the classic Chinese novel in its entirety for the first time […] With over a hundred chapters written in both prose and poetry, The Journey to the West has always been a complicated and difficult text to render in English while preserving the lyricism of its language and the content of its plot. But Yu has successfully taken on the task, and in this new edition he has made his translations even more accurate and accessible. The explanatory notes are updated and augmented, and Yu has added new material to his introduction, based on his original research as well as on the newest literary criticism and scholarship on Chinese religious traditions. He has also modernized the transliterations included in each volume, using the now-standard Hanyu Pinyin romanization system. Perhaps most important, Yu has made changes to the translation itself in order to make it as precise as possible ( source ).

2. PDF Files

Click to access the-journey-to-the-west-wu-chengen_-anthony-c.-yu-the-journey-to-the-west-volume-1-university-of-chicago-press-2013.pdf

Click to access the-journey-to-the-west-2012-volume-2.pdf

Click to access the-journey-to-the-west-2012-volume-3.pdf

Click to access the-journey-to-the-west-2012-volume-4.pdf

The cover of volume one ( larger version ).

Update : 03-01-22

I’ve archived a scan of the original Chinese version of the 1592 edition of the novel.

Archive #31 – The Original 1592 Edition of Journey to the West, Complete with Pictures

Update : 07-26-23

I have archived the first complete 1835 Japanese translation of JTTW. It includes amazing woodblock prints.

Archive #41 – PDFs of The Illustrated Journey to the West (Ehon Saiyuki, 繪本西遊記, 1835)

Update : 08-09-23

I have archived a list of other foreign language translations of Journey to the West , including complete and abridged editions.

English (W. J. F. Jenner and Arthur Waley)

Archive #42 – PDFs of Journey to the West Translations

These have been posted for educational purposes. No malicious copyright infringement is intended. Please support the official release.

A Chinese Classic Journeys to the West: Julia Lovell’s Translation of “Monkey King”

Minjie chen on “monkey king: journey to the west” by wu cheng’en, translated by julia lovell., by minjie chen october 5, 2021.

Around the World

A Chinese Classic Journeys to the West: Julia Lovell’s Translation of “Monkey King”

Monkey King: Journey to the West by Wu Cheng’en . Penguin Classics. 384 pages.

EXCEPT FOR THE one error I spotted on its cover, Julia Lovell’s new translation of Monkey King: Journey to the West is the best English edition of the classic Chinese fantasy novel, Xi You Ji (literally “west journey record”), I have ever read. If you wish to understand why Monkey King has been a fixture in Chinese popular culture for no fewer than five centuries, then look no further. Pick up this edition and you will join the 1.5 billion people who, to paraphrase Neil Gaiman’s comment on the tale, share in their DNA an intimate knowledge of the havoc-wreaking Monkey’s herculean journey westward to find a special collection of Buddhist sutras in India.

Xuanzang, a monk of the Tang dynasty (618–907 CE), made a 16-year pilgrimage to India in the seventh century, before bringing back Buddhist scriptures and devoting the rest of his life translating those Sanskrit texts into Chinese. His extraordinary trip inspired numerous legends in oral storytelling and folk entertainment. By the time a 100-chapter version of Journey to the West was compiled and published in 1592, there had been little semblance between Xuanzang’s original account of his travels and the fantasy novel. The latter features a Buddhist monk named Tripitaka, his three hideous-looking disciples, and an enormous cast of deities, immortals, demons, and spirits. At the center of the saga is a magical monkey named Sun Wukong — frequently referred to as Monkey King — who is the most powerful of the disciples.

Monkey has no parents. He is born from a stone egg, which has been fertilized and nourished by the essences of Heaven and Earth since the Creation. (Chinese parents love to steal this plot and appropriate it as an answer to the dreaded question from their toddlers, “Where did I come from?” thus contributing to a widespread misunderstanding about human reproduction among Chinese children.) After attending a Taoist school, Monkey masters the supernatural powers of flying on clouds and cloning himself from body hair. He is capable of 72 self-transformations, which means Monkey can turn into another being (without the help of the Polyjuice Potion), any creature (sans the restrictions imposed on Animagi), or a still object.

For his outrageous audacity to rebel against the established deities, Monkey is imprisoned by the Buddha under a mountain for 500 years until an opportunity for redemption finally comes. He is to serve as a disciple and protector of Tripitaka, who is ordained to undergo 81 ordeals before he can be granted sutras from the Buddha’s monastery library in Western Heaven. As it turns out, the monk and his three disciples — Monkey, Pigsy, and Sandy — had all fallen from grace in their current or past lives and received this second chance.

Journey to the West is one of those classics you can read and reread at any age. Each time it reveals something new to you. Child readers easily relate to the flaws and weaknesses of Monkey and his fellow disciples, who are at times impatient, reckless, and vain — they are clearly not the type to ace the famous “ marshmallow test ” designed to assess one’s ability to delay gratification. As I grow older, I am drawn to Journey to the West for additional reasons. Tripitaka’s predestined 81 calamities put the challenges and setbacks of my own into perspective. Children are captivated by Monkey’s superpower, but the bruises inflicted by life have taught me to recognize where his true strength lies — in his self-acceptance in low moments (or low centuries) and humility to persevere with his second chance. At whichever age you open the book, however, you are sure to chuckle over something funny, be it slapstick humor or subtle mockery.

This translation has earned my rating as the best English edition of the work because of the ways Julia Lovell reshaped and enhanced the text. First, with unapologetic decisiveness, Lovell cut and condensed descriptive passages and poems that contribute little to the pace of storytelling. Take the opening passage for example. Lovell’s version summarizes the entire first page of Chinese verse and prose in one brief paragraph in English and moves briskly to the more significant detail about the fertilized stone egg. My copy of Anthony C. Yu’s The Monkey and the Monk (2006) shows few signs of wear, even though this edition’s faithfulness to the original Chinese means it is good for English language learning. Its more direct translations lead to meandering theoretical exposition of the history of the universe that opens the first chapter. On the other hand, Lovell knows what is best to retain. Later in the story, when a hungry Pigsy is rebuked by Monkey for being a complainer, Pigsy shoots back, “We can’t all drink wind and burp mist like you.” Impressed by the expressiveness of Pigsy’s retort, I checked the 1954 Chinese edition, on which Lovell’s translation is based, and was somewhat surprised that it is directly lifted off the original text. When the pithy dialogue was buried in the lengthier original Chinese version, however, I never for once noticed it.

Second, Lovell’s selection of episodes from the Chinese version is satisfying. Lovell’s Monkey King is about a quarter of the length of the original. Of the 81 calamities, the episodes selected for translation are representative of the diverse nature of the ordeals. Tripitaka is a magnet for peril by virtue of being coveted by demons, who believe a bite of the monk would give them immortality. In one of the most imaginative episodes, the pilgrims travel to the Land of Women, are impregnated by drinking from the local river, and forced to seek emergency abortions. I do wish, though, that Lovell had not eliminated one of the earlier funny chapters in which Monkey and Pigsy succumb to gastronomic lure, invite themselves to taste the precious immortal ginseng fruit, and get into big trouble — Monkey has to exhaust his reservoir of superpowers and deity networks to reverse the rapidly escalating damage and to appease the wrathful owner of the magic tree.

Monkey’s trajectory of maturation is preserved — or perhaps is even more prominent — because of the careful selective compression of stories. He begins by pursuing personal gratification but learns to use his superpower to amend his own wrongdoings and to save lives. The pilgrims, bickering and betraying like rivalrous siblings, are not exactly model team players at the onset of the journey. The team shows increasing mutual trust, gratitude, and understanding as members survive one mishap after another. In the latter segments of their voyage, Monkey, who is short of confessing ADHD, and Tripitaka, who knows no magic, play off each other’s strengths to win a high-stakes meditation contest and to outmaneuver three cunning animal spirits.

Third, Monkey King accentuates one of the major appeals of the novel — its humor — with embellishments made by the translator in three main ways: dialogue, the culture of the immortal society, and the technicality of magic. Monkey is nothing without his complete disregard for formality, even (or especially) as he interacts with those perching at the top of the deities’ hierarchical system. He evokes both childish innocence and rebellious boldness. The English edition takes this characteristic and runs with it, tweaking a word choice here and perfecting a repartee there, in line with the lighthearted tone of the original. I should mention also that Lovell excels at spicing up the insults exchanged between Monkey and his enemies. One of the spirits sent to subdue Monkey threatens his monkey kingdom, “The merest whisper of resistance and we'll turn the lot of you into baboon butter” — you will not find “baboon butter” in the original version.

Another source of humor in the book is how the Heavenly administration system that governs immortals is a close mimicry of the bureaucracy of the mortal world. In Monkey King , their comic resemblance is further amplified by modernized vocabulary not found in the original. When Monkey is offered his first government post in Heaven, he meets a deity from “Immortal Resources” giving the Jade Emperor an update on vacancies.

Lovell has also strengthened the internal logic and technical rigor of the magic. Flying on clouds is a major magic skill of the immortals. Monkey King is more articulate about the magical mechanisms of the cloud-based transportation system, one that is responsive to the take-off posture of the rider and the speed of the gale the immortal is able to summon.

Because it is a story rooted in folk culture, Journey to the West has never ceased transforming. As it was performed by professional storytellers in teahouses, disseminated via woodblock printed paperbacks, and adapted into shadow plays, Peking operas, animated films, and pop-up picture books, generations of storytellers have built on others’ work, thus enriching the plot and reimagining the divine world. With its attentive reworkings of language and details, Monkey King has joined this time-honored tradition of reshaping and refreshing the old tale for a new audience.

This leads me to the “one error” I referred to on the front cover. I take issue with the wording “translated” by Julia Lovell. The verb does not nearly capture the amount of editing, retelling, and enhancement she has done to the text. Lovell is more of a creative collaborator of Wu Cheng’en, the Ming dynasty writer who was credited with compiling and writing the first comprehensive edition of Xi You Ji .

Nearly eight decades have passed since Monkey (1943), Arthur Waley’s translation of Journey to the West , was published. At that time, China and the United States were thick allies in the midst of the Pacific War against Japan. Hu Shih, having just finished his term as the Chinese ambassador to the United States, wrote in an introduction with palpable excitement that, thanks to Waley, the story would “now delight thousands upon thousands of children and adults in the English-speaking world for many years to come.” If Dr. Hu might seem overly optimistic by a notch or two, in Julia Lovell’s fluent translation and witty retelling, I see real hope that his prediction will finally come true.

There is something deeply gratifying about a good translation of Xi You Ji that speaks to a global audience. What better tribute can there be to the person who started all this — Xuanzang, the brave traveler-translator who delivered delicate manuscript scrolls across deserts and mountains and helped new ideas transcend linguistic chasms?

Minjie Chen works at the Cotsen Children's Library, a special collection of international children's literature held at the Princeton University Library. She is the author of The Sino-Japanese War and Youth Literature: Friends and Foes on the Battlefield (2016) and contributes to blog posts about Chinese children's literature at blogs.princeton.edu/cotsen and chinesebooksforyoungreaders.wordpress.com.

LARB Contributor

Minjie Chen works at the Cotsen Children’s Library, a special collection of international children’s literature held at the Princeton University Library. She is the author of The Sino-Japanese War and Youth Literature: Friends and Foes on the Battlefield (2016) and contributes to blog posts about Chinese children's literature at blogs.princeton.edu/cotsen and chinesebooksforyoungreaders.wordpress.com.

LARB Staff Recommendations

Idiom as instrument: on yan lianke’s “hard like water”.

Thomas Chen reviews Yan Lianke’s “Hard Like Water,” translated by Carlos Rojas.

Thomas Chen Aug 31, 2021

A Search for the Soul of the Mainland

Yunte Huang has compiled a 624-doorstop of an anthology.

Liz Carter May 1, 2016

Did you know LARB is a reader-supported nonprofit?

LARB publishes daily without a paywall as part of our mission to make rigorous, incisive, and engaging writing on every aspect of literature, culture, and the arts freely accessible to the public. Help us continue this work with your tax-deductible donation today!

Jul 2, 2022

Classical Chinese Novels 101: Journey to the West

For centuries, the literati of China wrote in Literary Chinese, crafted rigidly-structured essays, delighted in allusive poetry—and looked down on fiction as a lesser form of writing. Despite this, the stories and characters of China’s traditional novels have long influenced popular culture, and they are still readily apparent in both modern Chinese and East Asian culture.

This 101 series will serve as a basic introduction to China’s Four Great Classical Novels, as well as the entertainingly divergent (and often banned) Ming classic, Plum in the Golden Vase . In addition to discussing the development of Chinese long-form vernacular fiction, these articles will seek to present different critical interpretations of each novel, as well as highlight the insights that they offer into Chinese culture. As this series is designed for those without knowledge of Chinese or just beginning their studies of the language, Chinese names will be given in English, Chinese pinyin, and characters for the first appearance, and all subsequent references will use the English.

Classical Chinese Novels 101 is divided into six chapters:

1. Classical Chinese Novels 101: Introduction to the Traditional Chinese Novel

2. Classical Chinese Novels 101: The Romance of the Three Kingdoms

3. Classical Chinese Novels 101: Water Margin

4. Classical Chinese Novels 101: Journey to the West

5. Classical Chinese Novels 101: The Plum in the Golden Vase

6. Classical Chinese Novels 101: Dream of the Red Chamber

Journey to the West , or Xiyouji (西游记), is a late Ming dynasty (1368-1644) novel of comedic fantasy based on the religious pilgrimage of a 7th-century Chinese Buddhist monk to India in search of religious scripts. Published in the late 16th century, with the earliest extant edition dating back to 1592, Journey to the West is a hundred-chapter novel attributed to the author Wu Cheng’an.

As with Water Margin and Romance of the Three Kingdoms , the authorship of Journey to the West is still disputed (Hsia, 1968; Lee, 2010; Yu, 2008). Also like the earlier two novels, Journey to the West appears to be the lengthy culmination of a long history of narrative development. Based on the historical travels of Xuanzang, a monk who travelled to India in the early 7th century and brought back 657 Buddhist texts, the eventual folk legends that developed out of this historical pilgrimage gained ever-more fantastical elements through centuries of storytelling, from Song dynasty (960-1279) oral stories to Yuan (1271-1368) and Ming dynasty dramas (Hsia, 1968; Lee, 2010).

Though similar in development to Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Water Margin , Journey to the West represents an evolution in the traditional Chinese novel. While the ultimate identity of its author is still disputed, the novel itself is widely seen as the product of one primary author rather than a product of the type of composite authorship usually mentioned in relation to the earlier traditional novels. As the well-regarded Chinese literature professor Y. W. Ma writes, “There should not be much doubt that a single author is responsible for the extant one-hundred chapter version of the novel” (Ma, 1986:43). Indeed, Ma considers Journey to the West as one of the two novels that represent the height of Ming dynasty fiction (the second being Plum in the Golden Vase ) (Ma, 1986).

The basic structure and narrative of Journey to the West are, at first appearance, relatively simple and episodic. It begins with the tale of Sun Wukong, a monkey born from a stone who gains consciousness and then attempts to seek immortality and power. Sun Wukong, also called Monkey, rebels against Heaven and has a confrontation with the Buddha, who defeats Monkey and traps him beneath a mountain. Later, Tang Sanzang, courtesy name Tripitaka, is sent by the Tang Emperor on a mission west to find sacred Buddhist texts. Along his way, Tripitaka recruits companions who serve as his protectors and disciples; his first follower is the freed Monkey, who is bound to obey him by the Bodhisattva Guanyin (Guanyin, also a Chinese goddess of mercy, is an enlightened patron to the travellers; she appears recurringly to save them, and sometimes to test them.). His other companions are Zhu Bajie, or Pigsy in the acclaimed Arthur Waley abridged translation (1942), and Sha Wujing, or Sandy. Together, the pilgrimage members encounter and overcome (sometimes with the help of Guanyin) eighty-one trials involving demon-fighting and resisting temptation before reaching the end of their journey.

Despite its simple structure, the novel stands out among the traditional novels for its vivacious comedy and sense of fun. The 20th-century scholar and Chinese ambassador to the United States, Hu Shih, specifically emphasized the novel as a book of good humor and entertainment (Lee, 2010). Though Hu Shih was arguing for an appreciation of Journey to the West separate from its history of scrutiny and philosophical analysis, the novel is undeniably allegorical, philosophical, and rich with possible interpretations.

To begin with, Journey to the West is a novel based on the historical pilgrimage of Xuanzang. In addition to the religious journey where the main characters discuss Buddhist tenets with each other, the language of the novel borrows heavily from Taoist and Confucian texts, incorporating well-known ideas and phrases from the other two Chinese religions. For example, in his article “Formation and Fiction in Journey to the West ,” scholar Anthony Yu (2008) points out that the decision to make the fictional Tripitaka an envoy of the Tang emperor, a marked departure from the historical Xuanzang who went to India in secret and asked for pardon on his return, aligns the character more with the archetype of the traditional Confucian official-scholar. Furthermore, the character Tripitaka is far from the pious, calm traveller that one might expect given his fictional identity as either a reincarnated earth-bound dweller of Buddha’s Western Paradise, or as the fictionalized version of a devoutly religious historical pilgrim. Instead, as C. T. Hsia succinctly puts it, “he is merely helpless” (Hsia, 1968:117). A constant victim of the various ordeals the group faces, Tipitaka is nervous, fearful, and worried about completing his mission for the emperor, and requires continually rescuing. While Tripitaka’s weaknesses, complemented by Monkey’s endless mischievousness and Pigsy’s gluttony, are the main elements of comedy in the novel, they also serve greater allegorical purposes.

Many scholars, including C.T. Hsia (1968), Andrew Plaks (2015), and Anthony Yu (2008), highlight the division between Tripitaka as the all-too-human leader of the party and Monkey as the representation of the “mind” of the party in accordance with a Chinese idiomatic expression that refers to the “monkey of the mind.” This characterization of the party as separate parts of one being, supports an allegorical reading of Journey to the West which sees the eighty-one ordeals faced by the pilgrimage party, as well as the tensions between them as commentary on the proper cultivation of the heart and mind. Though Chinese expression about the "monkey of the mind" originated in Buddhist texts, by the time of Journey of the West, it was a syncretic Buddhist, Neo-Confucian and Taoist idea. At the same time, other allegorical readings focus on its treatment of Buddhist enlightenment. In The Four Masterworks of the Ming Novel , Andrew Plaks (2015) outlines how characteristics like Tripitaka’s concern for his own comfort, Pigsy’s gluttony and sensual desires, and Monkey’s quest for power are allegories for the different kinds of physical and spiritual impediments to Enlightenment. Hsia (1968) goes further in describing how Tripitaka’s continued attachments, both physical and spiritual, cause part of his susceptibility to demons' attacks and temptations; his compassion and other kindly emotions, while well-meaning, lead to more trouble. Meanwhile, Monkey’s humor, liveliness, and general disregard for others, which often offends Tripitaka’s sense of propriety and morality, is more truly aligned with Buddhist non-attachment.

In Hsia’s interpretation of the novel, the Heart Sutra received by Tripitaka at the beginning of his journey is the central message of the allegory (Hsia, 1968). The Heart Sutra teaches that “form is emptiness, and the very emptiness is form,” but Tripitaka and his fellow travellers show through their eighty-one ordeals that they are too attached to their comforts and desires (the form) (Hsia, 1968:119). Monkey, who more easily rejects his physical attachments—in one highly allegorical scene, he kills thieves called Ear, Eye, Nose, Tongue, Mind, and Body against Tripitaka's wishes—fails to find the enlightenment (the emptiness) described by the Heart Sutra because deliberately seeking enlightenment is also a form of attachment. The novel offers a representation of and commentary on the seeming paradox of attaining enlightenment (Hsia, 1968). Anthony Yu (2008) recalls other traditional interpretations of Journey to the West which indicate that the novel represents the Three-Religions-in-One ideology (Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism) that was common among contemporary Ming scholars. Andrew Plaks, for his part, argues that the novel is ultimately a “ psychomania of the process of the cultivation of the mind as construed by sixteenth-century thinkers” (2015:258). In Plaks’ reading, the allegorical meaning of the novel is an exploration of the conflicts relating to the cultivation of the mind while playing with the available language and motifs of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism.

The various interpretations, or the arguments against excessive interpretations, aside, Journey to the West remains a beloved novel for its mixture of comedy and fantasy. Though the journey made by Tripitaka, Monkey, and the others is a story that has been retold countless times in Chinese and East Asian culture in dramas, movies, televisions shows, video games, and children's literature, English readers interested in becoming acquainted with this lively story can start with Arthur Waley’s translation before diving into the allegorical complexities of China’s three religions. Waley’s renamed version, Monkey , does great justice to the character who is arguably the most interesting and compelling figure of the novel: the fun, mischievous, and powerful Monkey King.

Bibliographical References

Hsia, C. T. (1968). The Classic Chinese Novel: A Critical Introduction = Zhongguo gudian xiaoshuo . New York Columbia University Press.

Lee, W. (2010). Full-Length Vernacular Fiction. In V. H. Mair (Ed.), The Columbia history of Chinese literature . Columbia University Press.

Ma, Y. W. (1986). Fiction. In W. H. Nienhauser (Ed.), The Indiana Companion to Chinese Literature (pp. 31–48). Indiana University Press.

Plaks, A. H. (2015). The Four Masterworks of the Ming Novel: Ssu ta ch’i-shu . Princeton University Press.

Yu, A. C. (2008). The Formation of Fiction in the “Journey to the West.” Asia Major , 21 (1), 15–44. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41649940

Visual Sources

Figure 1: Yoshitoshi, T. (Early 1880s). Sun Wukong Blows on His Hairs [woodblock print; ink and color on paper]. Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Retrieved June 30, 2022, from https://collections.mfa.org/objects/215182/sun-wukong-blows-on-his-hairs-goku-ke-o-fuku-jo-and-uba-

Figure 2: Unknown. (1690-1720). Monkey Battles the Spider Spirit [woodblock print]. The British Museum. Retrieved June 30, 2022, from https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_1928-0323-0-20

Figure 3: Donshu, Ohara. (1815-1857). Priest Xuanzang and his attendants from the Xijouji [hanging scroll; ink and color on silk]. The British Museum. Retrieved June 30, 2022, from https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/image/36401001

Figure 4: Wiyono, L. D. (2014). Sun Wukong, the Infamous Monkey King [digital illustration]. Retrieved June 30, 2022, from https://www.flickr.com/photos/louisdavilla/14220881646/in/photostream/

Arcadia has an extensive catalog of articles on everything from literature to science — all available for free! If you liked this article and would like to read more, subscribe below and click the “Read More” button to discover a world of unique content.

Let the posts come to you!

Thanks for submitting!

‘Journey to the West’: Why the classic Chinese novel’s mischievous monkey – and his very human quest – has inspired centuries of adaptations

Associate Professor of Chinese Studies , College of the Holy Cross

Disclosure statement

Ji Hao does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

College of the Holy Cross provides funding as a member of The Conversation US.

View all partners

Two rows of performers in neon costumes on stage in front of a huge, blue statue of the Buddha.

One summer afternoon in the late 1980s, my mother and I passed by a tea house on our trip out of town. The crowded building was usually a boisterous place filled with chatter, laughter, and the happy, clacking shuffle of mahjong tiles. At the moment we were passing, however, a great hush came over the teahouse: People were held spellbound by the black-and-white glow of a small TV in a corner, playing an episode of the series “Journey to the West.”

The TV series was adapted from a 16th century Chinese novel with the same title that has undergone numerous adaptations and has captured the imagination of Chinese people to this day. Like many kids in China, I was fascinated by the magic Monkey King, the beloved superhero in the novel, who went through amazing adventures with other pilgrims in their quest for Buddhist scriptures. While I had to quickly walk by the teahouse in order to catch our bus that day, this moment flashed back to me from time to time, making me wonder what made “Journey to the West” so fascinating for people of all ages and backgrounds.

After graduating from college, I embarked on the next chapter of my academic journey in the United States and reconnected with “Journey to the West” from a different perspective. Now, as a scholar with expertise in traditional Chinese literature , I am interested in the development of literary and cultural traditions around the story, including how it has been translated and reimagined by many artists .

A dozen children in bright gold costumes and red face paint pose in a dance formation.

While deeply enmeshed in Chinese traditions, the story also resonates with readers from diverse cultures. “Journey to the West” creates shared ground by highlighting the quest for a common humanity, epitomized by its best-loved character, the Monkey King – a symbol of the human mind.

One journey, many stories

Scholars usually trace the beginning of this literary tradition to a Buddhist monk, Xuanzang , who set out on an epic pilgrimage to India in 627 C.E. He was determined to consult and bring back Sanskrit copies of Buddhist scriptures, rather than rely on previous Chinese translations. He did so after nearly 17 years and devoted the rest of his life to translating the scriptures.

A detail from a Chinese scroll painting of a man with short hair in a green robe and sandals.

The journey has inspired a wide variety of representations in literature, art and religion, making a lasting impact on Chinese culture and society. Legends began to emerge during Xuanzang’s lifetime. Over centuries, they gradually evolved into a distinct tradition of storytelling, often focused on how Xuanzang overcame obstacles with the help of supernatural companions.

This culminated in a 16th century Chinese novel, “Journey to the West.” By this point, the hero of the story had already shifted from Xuanzang to one of his disciples: the Monkey King of Flower-Fruit Mountain, who serves as Xuanzang’s protector. The Monkey King possesses strong magical powers – transforming himself, cloning himself and even performing somersaults that fly him more than 30,000 miles at once.

Despite this novel’s dominance, the broader tradition around “Journey to the West” encompasses a wide variety of stories in diverse forms. The canonic novel itself grew out of this collective effort, and its authorship is still debated – even as it continues to inspire new adaptations.

The deeper journey

Central to all Journey to the West stories is a theme of pilgrimage, which immediately raises a question regarding the nature of the novel: What is the journey really about?

Centuries-long debates about the journey’s deeper message center on the 16th century novel. Traditional commentators in late imperial China adopted a variety of approaches to the novel and underscored its connections with different religious and philosophical doctrines: Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism and syntheses of those teachings.

For example, all these teachings highlight the role of the “xin” – a Chinese word for mind and heart – in self-cultivation. While Confucian readers might see the plot of “Journey to the West” as the quest for a more moral life, Buddhists might decipher it as an inward journey toward enlightenment.

Four small, brightly painted clay figurines of people and animals in clothing.

In the early 20th century, Chinese scholar and diplomat Hu Shi criticized traditional allegorical interpretations, which he feared would make the novel seem less approachable for the general public.

His opinion influenced Arthur Waley’s “Monkey ,” an abridged English translation of “Journey to the West” published in 1942, which has contributed to the canonization of the novel abroad . To a considerable extent, “Monkey” turns the pilgrims’ journey into Monkey’s own journey of self-improvement and personal growth.

Recent scholarship has further underlined religious and ritual connotations of the novel from different perspectives, and debates over the issue continue. But few people would deny that one idea plays a crucial role: the Monkey King as a symbol of the mind.

Mind monkey

There has been a long tradition in Chinese culture that associates the image of a simian creature with the human mind. On the one hand, a monkey often symbolizes a restless mind, calling for discipline and cultivation. On the other hand, an active mind also opens up the opportunity to challenge the status quo and even transcend it, progressing to a higher state.

The Monkey King in the novel demonstrates this dual dimension of the mind . He vividly displays adaptability in exploring uncharted territories and adjusting to changing circumstances – and learning to rely on teamwork and self-discipline, not merely his magic powers.

A Japanese ink sketch of a monkey creating small, flying creatures out of his breath.

Before being sent on the pilgrimage, the Monkey King’s quest for self-gratification wreaked havoc in heaven and led to his imprisonment by the Buddha. The goddess Guanyin agreed to give him a second chance on the condition that he join the other pilgrims and assist them. His journey is fraught with the tensions between self-discipline and self-reliance, as he learns how to channel his physical and mental powers for good.

The Monkey King’s human qualities, from arrogance to fear, endow him with universal appeal. Readers gradually witness his self-improvement, revealing a common human quest. They may frown upon how the Monkey King is entrapped within his own ego, yet respect his courage in challenging authority and battling adversity. While his mischievous tricks give a good laugh, his loyalty to the monk Xuanzang and his sense of righteousness make a lasting impression.

Reviewing Waley’s “Monkey” in 1943 , Chinese-American writer Helena Kuo commented of the pilgrims: “Humanity would have missed a great deal if they have been exemplary characters.” Indeed, each one depicts humanity’s quest for a better self, particularly the main character. Monkeying around on the path of life, this simian companion captivates readers – and makes them consider their own journey.

Confucianism
Chinese culture
Religion and society
classic novels
Ancient texts
Ancient wisdom

Director of STEM

Community member - Training Delivery and Development Committee (Volunteer part-time)

Chief Executive Officer

Finance Business Partner

Head of Evidence to Action

Journey to the West: Introduction

by That's Mandarin | Oct 11, 2022 | Guest Blogs & Media

The Journey to the West | That's Mandarin Guest Post

To spark your interest, our guest author Jeff Pepper from Imagin8 Press has shared a brief introduction of the book.

TIP: Scroll the the bottom of the article to discover links to a version of the book written for English-speaking students of Chinese!

Q: What is Journey to the West about?

Journey to the West (西游记, Xīyóu Jì), is a Chinese novel written in the 16th century by Wu Cheng’en (吴承恩, Wú Chéng’ēn).

It is probably the most famous and best-loved novel in China and is considered one of the four great classical novels of Chinese literature. Its place in Chinese literature is roughly comparable to Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey in Western literature. Wikipedia sums up the book’s role perfectly, saying, “Enduringly popular, the tale is at once a comic adventure story, a humorous satire of Chinese bureaucracy, a spring of spiritual insight, and an extended allegory in which the group of pilgrims journeys towards enlightenment by the power and virtue of cooperation.”

Q: Is Journey to the West based on a real story?

The novel’s storyline is loosely based on an actual journey by a Buddhist monk also called Xuanzang who traveled from the city of Chang’an (today’s Xi’an) westward to India in 629 A.D. and returned 17 years later with priceless knowledge and texts of Buddhism.

Q: In short, what is Journey to the West about?

A long time ago, in a magical version of ancient China, the great Tang Empire is ruled by an emperor named Taizong. Due to a mixup involving the wrongful execution of a dragon king, Taizong falls ill, dies, and is dragged down to the underworld. There he comes face to face with the Ten Kings of the Underworld, survives a harrowing journey through hell, and finally escapes with the help of a deceased courtier.

When Taizong returns to the human world he is a changed man. He decides to send a monk to the Western Heaven (that is, India), to visit the Buddha, obtain holy scriptures, and bring them back to the people of the Tang Empire. This task is nearly impossible, requiring the crossing of thousands of miles of wild and dangerous territory. With guidance from the bodhisattva Guanyin, the emperor selects a young monk named Xuanzang.

Xuanzang is a brilliant young man but has a complicated history. In an earlier lifetime centuries before, he was a student of the Buddha but was careless in his studies. Expelled from the Buddha’s temple, he spent the next ten lifetimes meditating and acquiring merit. As an infant in his current lifetime he is nearly killed by bandits, placed in a floating basket by his widowed mother and sent downriver, rescued by a monk, and raised in a monastery. At age eighteen he learns his true history, and goes off to avenge his father’s death.

Later he is chosen by Taizong to undertake the epic journey to the west. Now called Tangseng (“monk from Tang”), he faces a near-impossible task: he must cross hundreds of mountains and thousands of rivers, and survive encounters with a horrifying series of bandits, monsters, demons, ghosts, evil kings, scheming monks, false Buddhas, and much more.

Sun Wukong from The Journey to the West | That's Mandarin Guest Post

Q: How about the Monkey King and other famous characters?

Tangseng could never survive the journey on his own. Fortunately he acquires three powerful but deeply flawed disciples.

First is the monkey king Sun Wukong (孙悟空, S ūn W ù kōng , his name means “ape awakened to the void”), who he frees from a 500-year imprisonment under a mountain in punishment for creating havoc in heaven.

Second is Zhu Bajie (猪八戒, Zhū Bājiè, “pig of the eight prohibitions”), a gluttonous pig-man who is constantly fighting, and often succumbing to, his desires for food, sex and comfort.

And third is Sha Wujing (沙悟净, Shā Wùjìng, “sand seeking purity”), a reformed man-eating river demon.

All three have been converted to Buddhism by the monk, but they often slip back into their bad habits and cause Tangseng a great deal of trouble. Fortunately they all have great magical powers which come in handy for battling demons and monsters, and saving Tangseng from all sorts of trouble.

The story of this journey is described in this epic novel.

Q: How long is the original book?

The original Journey to the West is a very long book. It contains 100 chapters and is 588,000 Chinese characters long. It uses a very large vocabulary of 4,500 different words, over 90% of which are not included in HSK Levels 1-6, making it quite difficult for most non-native Chinese speakers to read.

The novel is also available in English translation, the best one being by the scholar Dr. Anthony Yu. His version fills four volumes and runs over 2,300 pages.

Q: Is the book suitable for Chinese beginners?

Fortunately for people learning to read Chinese, there is now another way to read this book. My writing partner Xiao Hui Wang and I have spent the last five years writing a series of 31 books that retell the Journey to the West story in language that is accessible to anyone learning to read Chinese at the HSK 3 level. The stories in these books are told in a way that matches the original as closely as possible, but because they are graded readers they are much easier to read. The first book, Rise of the Monkey King, is relatively short and uses just 512 Chinese words. Each book adds more new words and slightly increases the length of the story and complexity of the writing, leading step by step to the longest and most challenging book, Book 31, The Final Trial. All told, the entire series uses about 2,200 different Chinese words excluding proper nouns.

Fortunately, the original novel is not written as a single continuous story, but is broken up into more or less standalone episodes, each one between one and four chapters in length. This makes it possible to read and enjoy any of the 31 graded readers without having to read the ones that came before it.

Each book is written in Simplified Chinese. The books include pinyin, English translation, and a glossary. Free audio versions of each book are available free of charge on YouTube.

Q: Where can I get these books?

A list of all 31 books in the series, along with short descriptions and links to the Amazon product pages and free YouTube audiobooks, can be found on the Imagin8 Press home page, www.imagin8press.com .

Jeff Pepper | Guest Author at That's Mandarin Blog

by Jeff Pepper

Jeff Pepper ([email protected]) is President and CEO of Imagin8 Press , and has written dozens of books about Chinese language and culture.

Over his thirty-five year career he has founded and led several successful computer software firms, including one that became a publicly traded company. He’s authored two software related books and has been awarded three U.S. patents.

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Submit Comment

Dong Chinese | Great Tool to Learn Chinese

Sep 13, 2022 | Guest Blogs & Media

The Best Tool to Learn MandarinChinese learning has become extremely popular around the world. One of the reasons why so many people are willing to learn Chinese is that China’s rapid economic growth offers numerous job opportunities to people from different...

Business in Chinese and Chinese Culture

Aug 25, 2022 | Guest Blogs & Media

China is among the leading economic giants in the world. Moreover, the economic, political and social stability coupled with favorable government policies and numerous growth opportunities make it an ideal market for international expansion. However, doing business in...

How Is Social Media Slang Changing the Formal Use of Chinese Language?

Aug 3, 2022 | Guest Blogs & Media

Internet culture has created new words that people sometimes use online. This is the case both for the English-language side of the World Wide Web and for any other corner of it – including the Chinese Internet. Users have been creating new slang words that are...

Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons

Tang Sanzang, an aspiring Buddhist hero tries to protect a village from three demons. He develops complex feelings for Miss Duan, the demon hunter who repeatedly helps him, and finally quest... Read all Tang Sanzang, an aspiring Buddhist hero tries to protect a village from three demons. He develops complex feelings for Miss Duan, the demon hunter who repeatedly helps him, and finally quests to meet the legendary Monkey King. Tang Sanzang, an aspiring Buddhist hero tries to protect a village from three demons. He develops complex feelings for Miss Duan, the demon hunter who repeatedly helps him, and finally quests to meet the legendary Monkey King.

Stephen Chow
Chi-Kin Kwok
66 User reviews
51 Critic reviews
68 Metascore
2 wins & 21 nominations

Top cast 35

Prince Important

Master Nameless

Fist of the North Star
(as Xingyu)

Killer Wu …

Taoist Priest

Almighty Foot
(as Charlie Zhang)

All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back

Did you know

Trivia This was the highest grossing film of 2013 in China, making 1.247 billion yuan.
Goofs Set in ancient China, the female demon hunter Killer Si has shaved armpits, something unheard of in that period.
Connections Followed by Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back (2017)
Soundtracks Love In A Life Time Composed by Lowell Lo Original Lyrics by Tang Shu Chen Lyrics by Wendyz Zheng Performed by Shu Qi Imar Music Entertainment Co., Ltd. Rock Music Publishing Co., Ltd.

User reviews 66

attilabarcellos
Oct 21, 2013
How long is Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons? Powered by Alexa
February 7, 2013 (China)
Official Site
Heng Dian, China
Bingo Movie Development
Film Workshop
Huayi Brothers Media
See more company credits at IMDbPro
Mar 9, 2014
$205,637,183

Technical specs

Runtime 1 hour 50 minutes
Dolby Atmos

More to explore

The Journey to the West, Revised Edition, Volume 1

Translated and Edited by Anthony C. Yu

Asian Studies: East Asia

Literature and Literary Criticism: Asian Languages

Table of contents
Author Events

Related Titles

Table of contents, a certain justice, the passion book.

Gendun Chopel

The Rise and Fall of Modern Japanese Literature

John Whittier Treat

For Dignity, Justice, and Revolution

Norma Field

Be the first to know

Get the latest updates on new releases, special offers, and media highlights when you subscribe to our email lists!

Journey to the West: Volume I

85 pages • 2 hours read

The Journey to the West: Volume I

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-5

Chapters 6-10

Chapters 11-15

Chapters 16-20

Chapters 21-25

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Summary and Study Guide

The Journey to the West: Volume I (1983) , translated and edited by Anthony C. Yu, contains the first 25 chapters of a 100-chapter hero’s epic , an allegory designed to impart knowledge on how to behave and what values to extol. Originally published in the late 16th century during the late Ming Dynasty, this epic is “loosely based on the famous pilgrimage of Xuanzang…the monk who went from China to India in quest of Buddhist scriptures” (1). Xuanzang lived from approximately 596 to the year 664. This journey was part of a movement of pilgrimages to the west for universal truth imparted by Buddha. There are two original components to the text, one attributed to the author Yang Zhihe, the other attributed to the compiler Zhu Dingchen.

For an abridged translation of Wu Cheng'en's full work, please refer to the study guide for Monkey: A Folk Novel of China (1942), translated by Arthur Waley.

Plot Summary

Shortly after the formation of the universe, a monkey is born from an immortal stone, possessing the traits of both the Yin and Yang. He becomes a king of other monkeys , and then trains in the Way, a Daoist discipline which earns him the ability to travel great distances with ease and to transform himself. Unfortunately, he angers his master and is cast out, at which point his selfishness and greed take hold of him. He develops an inferiority complex that leads to his offending Heaven. To get him under control, the ruler of Heaven—the Jade Emperor—offers him a fake title and gifts. When the monkey offends Heaven again, he flees to Earth, where a Heavenly army pursues him.

Wukong defies this army, until the Emperor’s nephew Erlang and the highest sage, Laozi, work together to trap him. The Jade Emperor sentences Wukong to death. Wukong is captured by the Buddha, Tathāgata , and imprisoned by five mountains on the promise that he can one day redeem himself. Guanyin and Hui’an leave to find the pilgrim that Tathāgata calls for to quest for knowledge, and Guanyin promises three monsters—and Wukong—opportunities for redemption. For Wukong, he will have to serve the pilgrim. The pilgrim, Xuanzang, grows up an orphan named and raised by a monk. He learns the Way, and when he’s 18, he finds out who his parents were and how they were wronged by bandits. He avenges his parents, and after his mother’s suicide, Xuanzang returns to the monastic lifestyle.

Emperor Tang Taizong is supposed to save the Dragon King from execution after the Dragon King ruins a fortune teller, but he fails because the executioner and judge, Wei, kills the Dragon King while dreaming. Taizong dies of sadness, and in the Underworld, promises to send food and hold a mass for the trapped souls so they can be reborn—he’s then sent back to the world of the living because he still has another 20 years to live. Taizong makes good on his promises.

At a mass sanctioned by Taizong and led by Xuanzang, Guanyin shows up and announces the quest to the west; Xuanzang volunteers. Xuanzang, also called Tripitaka, is helped along his journey and in return, saves a man’s father’s spirit. The man then agrees to guide him; when they are on a mountain, they hear Wukong cry out for his master. Tripitaka frees Wukong; they’re attacked, and Wukong kills the bandits attacking them. Tripitaka chides him, and Wukong flees. Guanyin helps Tripitaka control Wukong, who now goes by Pilgrim. Later, they gain control of the dragon that Guanyin promised redemption to when she turns it into a horse. Along their journey, Pilgrim is becoming a better soul, but he still has lessons to learn, such as how to curb his pride and vanity—a lesson he must learn when the abbot at the monastery of Guanyin tries to steal Tripitaka’s holy cassock because Pilgrim wanted to show it off.

Pilgrim and Guanyin work together to subdue a bear monster and regain the heavenly cassock for Tripitaka; Guanyin reminds Pilgrim to be good and not lazy. Despite this, Pilgrim continues to cause trouble for the remainder of Volume I of The Journey to the West , though as the entire epic contains 100 chapters, and Volume I is only the first 25, the monkey still has time to achieve redemption and enlightenment.

Related Titles

By these authors

Monkey: A Folk Novel of China

Featured Collections

Chinese Studies

View Collection

Good & Evil

Order & Chaos

Pride & Shame

How Black Myth: Wukong's Bajie Compares to His Journey to the West Counterpart

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

The Unwritten Rules of Black Myth: Wukong

Black myth wukong: all luojia fragrant vine locations, black myth: wukong — 10 hardest boss fights, ranked.

The following contains spoilers for Black Myth: Wukong .

As it is based on the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West , Black Myth: Wukong has a pool of pre-established characters to pull from to tell its story. Throughout their time in Black Myth: Wukong , players will get to meet many of these characters, some friends and some foes, but they'll spend the majority of their playthrough with Zhu Bajie, a humanoid pig yaoguai who is otherwise known as "Pigsy" in Journey to the West .

Bajie is one of the most familiar characters in Journey to the West and one of the most lovable, despite possessing a few off-color personality traits. Black Myth: Wukong represents the first time Bajie has ever been realized as a video game character, which means this particular adapted version of his character could differ from the original. That said, Game Science has done an excellent job remaining faithful to the novel in its adaptation of Bajie, especially considering Black Myth: Wukong is set five centuries after Journey to the West . Still, there are some subtle differences between this version of Bajie and the original that are worth taking a look at.

There are quite literally a few things that Black Myth: Wukong doesn't tell players outright, and knowing these unwritten rules can lead to success.

How Black Myth: Wukong's Bajie Compares to Journey to the West's Bajie

Black myth: wukong's bajie maintains the complexity of the original.

Zhu Bajie is one of Journey to the West 's most complex characters, primarily due to his bipolar personality traits that can make him both endearing and off-putting at times. The same couldn't be more true of Black Myth: Wukong 's Bajie, whose love for Sun Wukong comes out in his loyalty to the Destined One, but he often uses the other side of his mouth to talk down to the protagonist all the same. Bajie persistently complains as though he's being forced beyond his will to help the Destined One, but he continues to show up and help anyway, despite not actually being forced to do so. He's a complicated character, both in Journey to the West and Black Myth: Wukong , but that's what makes him one of each story's best.

Not All of Bajie's Journey to the West Characteristics Are Represented in Black Myth: Wukong's Bajie

While Bajie's disposition is the same in both Journey to the West and Black Myth: Wukong , not all of his characteristics are represented in the game. Specifically, Bajie is known for being very lustful in Journey to the West , as he allows his desires to cloud his judgment and get him into trouble. In fact, Bajie's struggle with lust is one of the more humorous parts of his character, as it shows his own frailty and therefore makes him more relatable than someone like Sun Wukong. However, Bajie's iconic lustfulness is not one of his defining characteristics in Black Myth: Wukong .

In Journey to the West , despite all his flaws, Bajie is a kind, loyal friend whose laziness sometimes contributes to his discontent — but in the most lighthearted and endearing way possible. In Black Myth: Wukong , he is the exact same person from the novel, as it's often very easy to see his true nature in his kind eyes. Bajie has several moments in Black Myth: Wukong where he wears his heart on his sleeve, with one of his most emotional reckonings happening after the final boss fight of Chapter 4.

One of the reasons Bajie is so lovable is because he is relatable. As an everyman type of yaoguai , he embodies the weaknesses and strengths of the average person, and his journey full of growth and self-reflection is much like what anyone would experience. Black Myth: Wukong wouldn't have been able to make such a character without the help of his Journey to the West counterpart. Thankfully, the two are nearly identical so even those who haven't read the novel can experience the true Bajie.

Black Myth: Wukong

Your rating.

Your comment has not been saved

indie games

Best Games Inspired By Journey To The West, Ranked

Dive into the iconic Journey to the West with video games inspired by Wu Cheng'en's legendary tale.
From SonSon's arcade platformer to Saiyuki's tactical RPG, experience the novel's heroes in gaming.
Black Myth: Wukong offers a stylish RPG adventure, the most authentic adaptation of the classic story.

Part history, part fantasy, part comedy, and part religious treatise, Wu Cheng’en’s Journey to the West is an iconic piece of Chinese literature. Based loosely on the priest Xuanzeng’s real pilgrimage to India, it spiced up proceedings by giving the monk Sanzang three divine protectors in the river ogre Sha Wujing, the pig demon Zhu Bajie, and the magic monkey Sun Wukong.

The Witcher & 9 Other Amazing Games Based On Books

The literary world has had a huge impact on gaming, with many of the industry's biggest franchises being based on books, short stories, and novels.

It has inspired a wide range of media, from books, shows, and movies to comics and video games — though some games are closer to the legend than others. Whether they let players control Wukong and co. themselves, or pit them against Sanzang’s guardians, these are the best games inspired by Journey to the West .

Journey To The East Side Of The Screen

System Arcade, Nintendo

Platform(s) Arcade, Nintendo Entertainment System

Released 1984-07-00

Developer(s) Capcom

Genre(s) Platformer

One of the oldest examples is Capcom’s SonSon , a side-scrolling arcade platformer like SNK’s later effort Psycho Soldier . Players control SonSon (Wukong) and/or TonTon (Bajie) across a continuous range of platforms with gaps they can stroll over or move up or down a level on. Their goal is to reach the Buddha statue at the end and blast any enemy away with magic.

It’s simple to pick up, though tricky to master, as those lanes can get crowded — even when they get special fruit power-ups to turn the tide. The game has been re-released through many Capcom compilations, like the Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium , and has been referenced in many more, like SonSon’s granddaughter appearing as a playable character in Marvel Vs Capcom 2 .

Mega Man: The Wily Wars

The blue bomber takes on the novel's heroes.

System Sega

Platform(s) Sega Genesis

Released October 21, 1994

Developer(s) Minakuchi Engineering

Wait, wasn’t Mega Man: The Wily Wars just a Genesis remake of the first 3 NES games ? Well, yes. However, that was only part of the story. After beating all 3 remade games, it would unlock a new section called ‘The Wily Tower,’ where Mega Man could choose any of the weapons from MM’s 1-3 to tackle its stages.

They had to choose wisely, as at the end of its stages, they’d face a boss based on Journey to the West ’s heroes. The aquabot Mega Water.S, based on Sha Wujing, would dive and blast Mega Man with water jets. Hyper Storm.H uses his bulk to barge into Mega Man, though he's just as dim as his book counterpart, Zhu Bajie. Then, Buster Rod.G swings his rod and clones himself like Wukong.

Saiyuki: Journey West

A tactical approach to the story.

Developer: Koei
Platforms: PlayStation
Release: August 2001

SonSon and Mega Man: The Wily Wars are good for references, but what if players wanted to experience the actual novel in a video game format? Later games managed this with some artistic license, though some old school games did try to cram the novel into an NES cartridge or an arcade board, to varying degrees of success.

One standout was Saiyuki: Journey West , a tactical RPG akin to Final Fantasy Tactics , where Wukong, Bajie, and Wujing could use their transformations in battle, with Sanzang as the healer. It didn’t set the world on fire back in the day, being a PS1 game released nearly a year after the PS2's launch. Still, Gamespot liked it enough to nominate it for their ‘Best Game No One Played’ prize at their 2001 awards.

Dragon Ball: Origins

How sun wukong created son goku.

System Nintendo

Platform(s) Nintendo DS

Released November 4, 2008

Developer Game Republic

Genre(s) Action-Adventure

Nowadays, most people may know Journey to the West for inspiring the Dragon Ball series. Its main hero even uses Wukong’s Japanese name, Son Goku. That said, most Dragon Ball fans outside Japan got into the series with the explosive sagas of Dragon Ball Z , where the Journey to the West influences got turned down and other influences, like Superman , got turned up.

The Best Dragon Ball Games Of All Time, Ranked

Not every Dragon Ball game lives up to fans' expectations. These are the best games ever made starring Goku and the rest of the Z fighters.

But, if players wanted to see those influences more overtly, one of the best ways outside the show itself would be Dragon Ball: Origins . The DS Zelda- like saw Goku’s first meetings with his friends, some closer to the book than others — Oolong’s introduction is almost 1:1 to Bajie’s debut in the novel, while others take more artistic license, like Erlang Shen inspiring Tien, or Wujing's ugly river ogre becoming the desert-dwelling Yamcha.

Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate

The novel's priest fights for herself.

System Nintendo, Xbox, PC, PlayStation

Platform(s) Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 3

Released September 2, 2014

Genre(s) Hack and Slash

Developer(s) Omega Force

OpenCritic Page https://opencritic.com/game/219/warriors-orochi-3-ultimate

Top Critic Rating 80

Critics Recommend % 80

The Warriors Orochi series are basically Dynasty Warriors Vs Samurai Warriors , with some Sino-Japanese history and mythology thrown in. Sun Wukong turned up in Warriors Orochi 2 as a playable bad guy since the main villain, Taira Kiyomori, freed him from serving Sanzang and Nezha. Sanzang turned up in the PSP update, though it took Warriors Orochi 3 and its Ultimate update to go deeper.

To unlock Sanzang in WO3 , players follow the monkey-ish Hideyoshi Toyotomi and pig-like buffoon, Goemon, as they search for treasure. Instead, they get Sanzang, who aids them against the demonic hordes. Their arguing and clumsy scheming even reminds her of her old adventures with Bajie and Wukong. Nezha also makes his playable debut, though he originally came from an older story before turning up in Journey to the West.

Enslaved: Odyssey To The West

A pilgrimage to the post-apocalyptic future, enslaved: odyssey to the west.

System Xbox, PC, PlayStation

Platform(s) PS3, Xbox 360, PC

Released October 5, 2010

Developer(s) Ninja Theory

Genre(s) Action, Adventure

Sanzang is supposed to be a male monk, but because of the Japanese translation’s ambiguous use of gender, he’s often turned up in their media as a woman, be it as Dragon Ball ’s Bulma, Warriors Orochi 3 ’s Sanzang, or in the 1978 Monkey series. This show actually made it abroad to the West, where Ninja Theory continued the trend for Enslaved: Odyssey to the West .

6 Forgotten One-Off Hack And Slash Games That Are Worth Revisiting

These hack-and-slash titles may have fallen by the wayside over the years, but fans of the genre should consider picking them up.

It’s a post-apocalyptic, futuristic take on the tale, where, after Monkey forces their ship to crash, Trip (Sanzang) uses a special headband to make him escort her home safely as recompense. The game played well, despite some frame rate hiccups, and earned multiple awards, particularly for Andy Serkis’ performance as Monkey. Unfortunately, that didn’t translate into sales, leaving it as one of Ninja Theory's most underrated games.

Unruly Heroes

Multiplayer madness in this action-adventure beat 'em up.

System Nintendo, Xbox, PC, PlayStation, Mobile

Platform(s) Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PC, iOS, Android, Xbox One

Released January 23, 2019

Developer(s) Magic Design Studios

OpenCritic Page https://opencritic.com/game/7209/unruly-heroes

Top Critic Rating 78

Critics Recommend % 78

Developer: Magic Design Studios.
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Android, iOS.
Release: January 2019.

Enslaved had stunning, vibrant graphics for its time, though its story was a relatively moody affair. The original Journey to the West novel, while not always sunshine and rainbows with its murder and monsters, had plenty of comedy in it (usually through Bajie and Monkey’s bickering childishness). Unruly Heroes plays up the novel’s lighter aspects by taking it in a more cartoony, fun-filled direction.

It turns the story into a Donkey Kong Country -esque platformer with Prince of Persia puzzle-solving, where players can switch between Sanzang, Wukong, Kihong (Bajie), and Sandmonk (Wujing) on the fly. That way, they can switch between their different skills and abilities (gliding, double jumping, etc.) to navigate various obstacles. It’s a fun little game that fell under the radar for many, but it delivers a strong showing through its deep ties to Journey to the West .

Black Myth: Wukong

The monkey returns in this stylish action-adventure rpg.

System PC, PlayStation

Platform(s) PlayStation 5, PC

Released August 20, 2024

Developer(s) Game Science

Genre(s) Action RPG

OpenCritic Page https://opencritic.com/game/17160/black-myth-wukong

Top Critic Rating 81

Critics Recommend % 73

The most recent Journey to the West video game adaptation as of this writing is Black Myth: Wukong , which provides an alternate epilogue to the tale. Here, Wukong rejects the offer of immortality after his pilgrimage and is punished by Heaven for doing so by being sealed in stone. Since then, monkeys from Mount Huaguo have ventured out to try to revive him by collecting the 6 Relics he divided his spirit into. The latest one, armed with a staff like Wukong, is known only as The Destined One.

The game is filled with characters from the novel who either help the Destined One on his journey, like Bajie, or fight him, like Red Boy and Erlang Shen. Made by Chinese developers Game Science, it’s arguably the best and most authentic game based on the novel. It aims to be the first of many Black Myth games based on Chinese mythology. Since the game has already hit 10 million sales within the first three days , players should have little doubt about seeing more Black Myth games in the future.

Black Myth: Wukong - 5 Things You Should Know Before Picking Up The Game

Black Myth: Wukong is finally available for gamers to dive into. Here are some things to be aware of before picking the game up.

Best Games Inspired By Journey To The West, Ranked

Black Myth: Wukong - 8 Best Journey To The West References

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Black Myth: Wukong - Kang-Jin Loong Boss Guide

8 games to play if you like black myth: wukong, black myth: wukong - 7 things to do after you beat the game.

In case you were somehow unaware, Black Myth: Wukong is based on a 16th-century Chinese novel called Journey to the West. There are plenty of callbacks to that story, and while you can still enjoy the game without knowing it, it does make the journey more satisfying when you understand where everyone comes from.

What Is Black Myth: Wukong's Story Based On?

Whether it's familiar or a new tale, here's what you need to know about the lore surrounding Black Myth: Wukong and the story it's based on.

While not immediately apparent when you first start the game, Black Myth: Wukong is a sequel to the events of the novel, with plenty of characters referencing events and relationships from long ago. While the most important ones are explained, others are only understood when you know where it all came from.

8 The Bull King

And his son, the red boy.

Chapter 5 of Black Myth: Wukong is one large reference to the main antagonist of the novel, the Bull Demon King. This King wasn’t behind every single test the group from Journey to the West had to go through, but he was the most dangerous, and as Zhu Bajie explains, the Bull King is strong enough to beat Wukong in single combat.

His son, the demonic Red Boy, also makes an appearance and ends up being the real boss of the chapter. His presence is a bit strange, since he was supposedly purified during the events of the novel, but him being the character that came the closest to kill Wukong in the past, letting the players fight him warranted the retcon.

7 The Spider Clan

A pig’s love story.

Fans with passing knowledge of Journey to the West might be puzzled by the revelation that Zhu Bajie and the Violet Spider had a sort of affair. The direct reference here is shown during the 2D cinematic at the end of the chapter, when Zhu Bajie transforms into a fish to spy on the bathing girls.

While that does happen in the novel, it doesn’t seem to end up with the Pig and the Spider all lovey-dovey. But a lot of people have interpreted it that way over time, with Black Myth: Wukong grabbing that idea and using it to flesh out many of its characters.

6 The Golden Headband

Wasn’t removed after all.

The key item that kick-starts this whole story is the Golden Headband, a circlet of sorts around Wukong’s head that prevents him from challenging the heavens. It was placed there when he was captured before the novel began, and it is removed once Wukong completes his quest with the Tang Monk.

The Headband was removed by Buddha at the end of the novel, and this is even shown during the novel’s recap at the end of the True ending, so it is hard to know why Wukong has the Headband on his head again.

Knowing about this item gives a lot of context during the game's Bad ending, since seeing that item being placed on the Destined One’s head can only spell out bad things. This is what pushes Wukong to die and then test a future Destined One so he can be reborn without the Headband’s limitations.

5 The Wise Man

Could it be the tang monk.

An enigmatic man you’ll encounter during your travels is the Wise Man, an NPC that seems to be on your side, buffing your gourd and teaching you spells. With such a generic name but a relevant role, he could be none other than the Tang Monk, the main character of Journey to the West.

Watch out for his flying and electric attacks. This guide details everything you'll need to defeat Kang-Jin Loong.

To be fair, the center of action and attention is on Wukong, but the one all the demons are hunting is the Tang Monk, since eating him would expand their lifespan greatly. It would make sense then that, after all they went through, the Tang Monk would be looking for ways to aid Wukong with his plans of resurrection.

4 The Stone Monkey

Wukong’s original form.

When diving into Wukong’s memories, you eventually find the Stone Monkey, a larger and more feral version of Wukong that serves as the first fight. Afterward, the stone cracks and the fully realized Wukong appears, with the full getup and staff, but why was he made of stone to begin with?

Well, it turns out that stone form is how Wukong came to be until he eventually met a master that taught him the way of immortality, naming him Sun Wukong. This makes the Stone Monkey the earliest rendition of Wukong, almost as if he had reversed back to his childhood during his time in stasis.

3 Zhu Bajie’s Reveal

Fitting for an admiral.

When you first find Zhu Bajie in Chapter 3, he’s trapped inside a base and unable to leave, your boss fight against Kang-Jin Star being the catalyst for his release. We then see a dramatic close-up of an angry furry animal of sorts, until it is revealed it is Zhu Bajie, the small pig ally of Wukong.

The adventure never ends when you play these games after finishing Black Myth: Wukong.

This works on a lot of levels, since Zhu Bajie’s design fits the idea depicted on Journey to the West rather perfectly, but it was a nice bait and switch of expectations. Still, Zhu Bajie is strong on his own and serves as a great source of exposition for the rest of the game.

2 The First Fight Against Erlang Shen

Makes it feel like a prequel.

When you first start the game, you take control of the real Sun Wukong as he goes to fight the armies of heaven, led by Erlang Shen. If you know nothing about the game, that whole moment feels like it is depicting Wukong’s capture just before the start of the novel, when it turns out this is happening after.

They could have Wukong and Erlang fight in any sort of scenario, but the way they set it up was in clear reference to that ancient original fight. It is only when Wukong mentions his friend the pig that you start to realize when this is happening, and that something must have gone terribly wrong between Wukong and the heavens for them to be hunting him after his redemption.

1 The True Ending

It is a literal recap of the novel.

Once you unlock the True ending , you’ll be treated to a beautifully animated 2D scene where you see Wukong’s life, from his death to the moment he decided to raid the heavens. The vast majority of these events happen during Journey to the West, making this moment the biggest reference to the novel.

The biggest key moments are when his Headband is removed, and when he crosses off his name from Death’s list. It is interesting that we are shown this, when the events depicted in this Black Myth show that Wukong still has his Headband, and that he can die, clearly showing that the Buddhist systems in place aren’t as perfect as they might think they are.

Your journey through Black Myth: Wukong doesn't have to end with the credits.

Triple-A Games

From Dragon Ball to Enslaved, the Best Retellings of Journey to the West

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

10 Times Dragon Ball Tricked Anime Fans

Dragon ball super's toyotarou farewells a "saiyan hero" with special end-of-series illustration, every dragon ball tournament's strongest character.

Journey To The West is one of the most influential stories of all time. First published during the Ming Dynasty, Wu Cheng'en's epic is considered one of the four great classical novels of Chinese literature.

The story has influenced thousands of different works in all forms of media. References and retellings of the story continue to appear, with the currently-airing The God Of High School suggesting that it too will intertwine with the epic tale. However, if you want more adaptations of the Monkey King's journey, here are five of the best reimaginings of Journey To The West .

Related: The God Of High School Makes Its Dragon Ball Connection Unmistakable

Dragon Ball

Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball needs no introduction. Since it started in 1984, the series has been a smash hit, spawning a massive franchise that is famous all over the world. In interviews, Toriyama has said that when he made Dragon Ball , he wanted to create something with the basic theme of Journey to the West but with " a little kung fu" added in .

Because of this, the series is full of references to the classic work. For instance, the lead character of the manga, Son Goku, is named after the Japanese reading of Sun Wukong, the protagonist of Journey to the West . Much like his namesake, Son Goku uses a magical size-changing staff and a flying cloud during his adventures. And, both Goku and Sun Wukong spend their time looking for magical artifacts that are said to bestow a great prize on the person who collects all of them .

One of the most direct references to Journey to the West is the Ox-King. The Ox-King is the name of a demon found in the original work and both he and his Dragon Ball counterpart are first encountered in a castle that sits atop a flaming mountain. In the World of Akira Toriyama artbooks, Toriyama has drawn many images of Dragon Ball 's core cast as their corresponding Journey To The West character, showing just how close the two stories are.

Enslaved: Odessey to the West

British development studio, Ninja Theory, released Enslaved: Odyssey To The West on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2010. It's an action-adventure game that takes the story of Journey to the West and sets it in the future. After a global war, most of humanity is wiped out and the world becomes overrun by murderous robots.

The player takes control of Monkey ( played by Andy Serkis ) who wakes up in a prison cell on a slave ship. During an escape attempt, Monkey causes the ship to crash. Once he recovers from the crash, Monkey finds that Trip, another prisoner, has placed a slave headband on him, forcing him to comply with her demand to escort her back to her home village, a journey that is very reminiscent of the one that Sun Wukong takes in the original story.

Other characters from the original tale also make an appearance during the game, including Pigsy, who, in this version of the tale, helps lead Trip and Monkey to a giant robot called “Leviathan." Pigsy also got a DLC pack, called "Pigsy’s Perfect Ten." This mission pack is set before the start of the game and focuses on Pigsy trying to build a robot friend.

Both the game and its DLC received very good reviews from gaming publications, most of whom commended the game's beautiful environments and high-quality voice acting. However, the game didn't sell as many copies as hoped and Namco Bandai decided to cancel the planned sequel before it entered development.

Kazuya Minekura's Saiyuki was first serialized in the magazine GFantasy between 1997 to 2002. It has spawned a massive franchise that includes sequels, anime adaptations and even stage musicals. The series is set in a world where demons, magic and modern technology all co-exist and intermingle.

When peaceful demons suddenly turn violent, the Sanbutsushin commands Genjyo Sanz to travel to India to prevent a mysterious group of people from resurrecting the Ox-Demon-King, Gyumaoh. On this journey, Sanz is accompanied by Son Goku, Sha Gojyo and Cho Hakkai. However, these companions are not what they seem. In fact, they are all demons who are only kept under control by the magical trinkets they wear. The series is known for its action as well as its bishōnen-influenced male character designs. This, mixed with its unusual setting means that the series has a unique visual style that sets it apart from other adaptations of Journey to the West.

Related: The Watch: BBC America's Discworld Adaptation Debuts Controversial Cast Photo

Unruly Heroes

Created in 2019 by Magic Design Studios, Unruly Heroes was released on the PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 . The game allows players to play as Sanzang, Wukong, Kihong and Sandmon. Each character has different abilities and players must swap between these characters to solve complex platforming challenges. The game was praised for its fluid character animations and highly detailed backgrounds, as well as for its excellent co-op play.

However, while the game is heavily influenced by Journey to the West it also heavily changes the narrative, turning the story into a light-hearted comedy that only has superficial relations to the original source material.

The Forbidden Kingdom

Released in 2008, The Forbidden Kingdom is the first time action legends Jackie Chan and Jet Li have co-starred together. It features an all-star cast and was directed by Rob Minkoff. The film tells the story of Jason Tripitikas, a teen from South Boston. While browsing in an old store, Tripitikas finds a golden staff. During a robbery, the store's owner tells Tripitaka to return the staff to its rightful owner. Agreeing with the man's request, Tripitaka flees but ends up falling off a roof.

When Tripitaka wakes up, he finds that he has been transported to mythical China and now has to save the world from an evil warlord who has turned the Monkey King to stone. The film was commended for its impressive fight choreography and intense and innovative fight scenes, though many reviewers criticized the film's pacing.

From accurate retellings of the original legends to series that use the myth as a jumping-off point to all-new narratives, Journey to the West continues to be a fountain of inspiration. There is no doubt that the Monkey King and his companions will be going on many more journeys and inspiring countless new writers for decades to come.

KEEP READING: Noblesse: Crunchyroll Unveils First Trailer For Anime Adaptation Of The WEBTOON Vampire Series

CBR Exclusives

Login / Sign Up
Polygon Picks
Polygon Lists
What to Watch

9 movies like Black Myth: Wukong to continue your journey to the west

There are more than a few cool movies based on Journey to the West

by Austen Goslin and Pete Volk

If you buy something from a Polygon link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

MONKEY KING: HERO IS BACK, (aka XI YOU JI ZHI DA SHENG GUI LAI), The Monkey King (voice: Jackie

Few stories in the history of the world are as famous or have been told as many times as the tale of Sun Wukong. In fact, a new adaptation of the story, Black Myth: Wukong , is currently taking the world by storm, racking up record-breaking numbers on Steam . The game is a gorgeous retelling of the Chinese legend, complete with some of the best action-RPG gameplay of the year so far. But if playing the game has left you curious about the other ways this particular legend has been told, there are plenty of movies that fit the bill.

We’ve collected a list of some of the best retellings of the Sun Wukong legend, as well as a few other movies that make a perfect thematic match for Black Myth, so you can stay in this legendary world long after you’ve finished the game.

For more movies with mythical fantasy vibes, check out our list of movies like Elden Ring . And for more adaptations of Chinese folklore, check out our list of donghua to watch — many are based on Chinese mythic tales.

Monkey King: Hero is Back

What it is: A crowdfunded animated movie that became China’s highest-grossing animated film of 2015, Hero is Back follows Sun Wukong’s fall from power and his road trip with a child monk obsessed with the monkey king’s famous feats.

Where to watch it: Free with a library card on Hoopla, free with ads on Tubi, or for digital rental/purchase on Amazon

A Chinese Odyssey

What it is: The great action-comedy star Stephen Chow gets his turn at Sun Wukong in this loose adaptation of Journey to the West . It’s a two-parter – Pandora’s Box and Cinderella , followed by a much delayed Part Three in 2016.

Where to watch it: Netflix, for free with ads on Tubi or Plex, or for digital purchase on Amazon

Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons

What it is: Chow wasn’t content with just one Journey to the West adaptation – after starring in A Chinese Odyssey , he directed Conquering the Demons and it’s sequel, The Demons Strike Back . As usual for Chow’s movies, it balances slapstick humor and big set pieces for an entertaining time.

Where to watch it: Prime Video, for free with a library card on Kanopy, free with ads on Tubi and Pluto TV, or for digital rental/purchase on Amazon and Apple

The Monkey King 1-3

A woman with a headdress sits in the forest in The Monkey King 3

What it is: Director Soi Cheang’s ( SPL 2: A Time for Consequences; Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In ) trilogy of Sun Wukong movies. The first stars Donnie Yen, while the latter two star Aaron Kwok. The first one isn’t Cheang’s best work, but they are high budget modern adaptations of the story and the series gets better as it goes along.

Where to watch it: Free with a library card on Hoopla, free with ads on Tubi and Plex, or for digital rental or purchase on Apple and Amazon. The Monkey King 2 and 3 are both on Prime Video.

The Forbidden Kingdom

What it is: The rare “Hollywood wuxia,” Forbidden Kingdom stars Jet Li as the Monkey King and Jackie Chan as Lu Yan. It is also primarily about a kid from Boston who is obsessed with Journey to the West and wuxia, so your mileage may vary.

Where to watch it: For free with ads on Pluto TV and Freevee, or available to rent on Amazon and Apple

A young kid with an angry look on their face runs toward the camera with fire behind them in Nezha

What it is: Adapted from a different 16th-century Chinese novel, Ne Zha was a smash hit at the Chinese box office and spawned a sequel, Legend of Deification . The movie follows a boy with great powers who is the feared protector of his community, and features stunning action sequences.

Where to watch it: Free with a library card on Hoopla, free with ads on Plex, or for digital rental/purchase on Amazon and Apple

New Gods: Nezha Reborn

What it is: A more modern adaptation of the Nezha story, this one sees the mythic figure reborn as a motorbike-riding rebel.

Where to watch it: Netflix

A Writer’s Odyssey

What it is: A 2021 Chinese fantasy action-adventure about a writer whose fantasy novel seems to be having a mysterious impact on the real world, and the man who has been sent to kill him.

Where to watch it: Streaming on iQiyi, free with ads on FreeVee and Tubi, or available to rent on Google Play and Amazon .

Dragon Ball

What it is: It’s Dragon Ball , duh. But it’s an excuse to say Son Goku is based on Sun Wukong.

Where to watch it: Hulu, Crunchyroll

Entertainment

Patch Notes

The best of Polygon in your inbox, every Friday.

This is the title for the native ad

More in What to Watch

The Latest ⚡️

Holiday Inspiration /
Road Trips /

The best of the west road trip

When the weather gets cooler it’s time to start your winter road trip adventure at the top end of Western Australia and chase the sun. Not only is there warm weather but the nature, food and incredible scenery is unforgettable.

This 7-10 day journey will take you through the rugged outback, stunning coastlines and some of the best National Parks Australia has to offer, so just bring your holiday mode and get ready to explore. To make your planning easy, we've put together a road trip with the best spots you can’t miss!

Stop number one - Onslow

Starting off this long desert road trip with a touch of a coastal setting in Onslow. A popular stop for holidayers heading up to Karratha and a great place to kick off your relaxed holiday. Come and stay with us at Discovery Parks – Onslow and do as much – or as little – as you please. A town enriched in its history of pearling, cattle farming and especially gold mining, visit Goods Shed Museum to learn all about this. Take it easy at either Sunrise or Sunset beach or take part in one of the many water activities. Catch your dinner at Five Mile Pool, a top place to go mud crabbing and come back to park to use our camp kitchen where you can show off your catch of the day!

Onslow to Pilbara – 4 hours

Next stop, Discovery Parks – Pilbara, Karratha just four hours from Onslow, you will find your true outback experience. Karratha is the perfect base to explore the natural beauty of the region. Karratha means ‘good country’ in the language of the local Indigenous community and you’ll be awestruck by the raw, natural treasures of the Pilbara in Australia’s North West. The massive gorges, crystal clear rock pools and waterfalls of Karijini National Park are a must-see. Just off the coast, the Dampier Archipelago and Mackerel Islands offer world-class boating, fishing, diving and snorkelling, while the seasonal natural phenomenon, Staircase to the Moon, is extraordinary. Our holiday park’s excellent accommodation choices and facilities are perfect for resting up at the end of a long day.

Pilbara to Port Hedland – 3 hours

A short three hour drive and you’ll arrive at Port Hedland, the second largest town in the region. Discovery Parks – Port Hedland is a great base for outdoor adventures, from off-road driving to coastal walks and endless fishing hot spots. Located on a water-front location in Port Hedland it offers direct beach access, or you can enjoy easy explorations of the Pilbara Region of Western Australia's rugged North West. Visit the world's largest bulk tonnage export port, perfect for fishing, crabbing, and whale watching. The town is famous for its impressive resource industry so take a BHP Billiton Iron Ore Tour or a Reef Walk to discover Port Hedland’s rich ecosystem. Rich in Indigenous culture and bursting with wildlife, discover the diverse experiences this unique town has to offer.

Port Hedland to Broome – 6 hours

Pack the snacks and queue the great playlist cause your next stop, Broome, is a six hour drive away. Discovery Parks - Broome is the only park in town located on the beach, with uninterrupted views over the turquoise waters of Roebuck Bay. After waking up to the gentle crashing of waves on the shore, head for a cuppa at the Town Beach Cafe on site. When you're ready, lace up your boots and take on this adventure. You can explore this town in the sky, ocean or land by plane, boat or car with incredible tours taking you through all the hidden treasures. The warm temperatures and tropical feeling will draw you straight to the iconic Cable Beach, an incredible landscape that stretches over 22kms where white sand meets bright blue water. Make sure you experience the sundowner Camel Tours, it's the perfect way to end your day - just make sure you don’t forget your camera, there will be plenty of photo opportunities on your ride.

Broome to Lake Kununurra – 10.5 hours

Lots of people love to leave the best thing till last and that’s exactly what we have done on this road trip. Lake Kununurra is shared by swimmers, anglers, bird watchers and water sports enthusiasts alike and is the gateway to some of Western Australia’s most remarkable natural attractions. Although it is a long drive, there is so much to see and do on the way up. Let Discovery Parks – Lake Kununurra be your final home away from home, set on 10 acres of Australian bushland this is the only park on the edge of the lake. Boasting breathtaking waterfront views you can relax with friends or settle along the banks and enjoy the sunset show nature puts on as a feeling of calm envelops you. Around the park take a dip in the pool to cool off and cook up a storm in the BBQ areas provided. Check out the unusual rock formations of Mirima National Park and the incredible Bungle Bungle Ranges in Purnululu National Park or take a sunset cruise on Lake Argyle. Enjoy the heat on your back, soaking up some final sunrays before heading home and having a toast to what has been a trip of a lifetime.

Jump in the car and head off on a great Aussie adventure! Get ready to see the best of the West.

EXPLORE OUR PARKS IN WA

Follow us on social media

Subscribe to our newsletter, explore our parks.

Burrill Lake, Ulladulla
Emerald Beach
Harrington Beach
Horseshoe Lagoon
Lake Hume, New South Wales
Maidens Inn, Moama
Moama Waters
Narooma Beach
Pambula Beach
Alice Springs
Discovery Resorts - Glen Helen
Discovery Resorts - Kings Canyon
Airlie Beach
Coolwaters, Yeppoon
Discovery Resorts - Undara
Fraser Street, Hervey Bay
Mount Surprise
Rockhampton
Tannum Sands
Adelaide Beachfront
Barossa Valley
Kangaroo Island
Lake Bonney
Port Augusta
Roxby Downs
Streaky Bay Foreshore
Whyalla Foreshore
Cradle Mountain
Mornington Hobart
Lake Hume, Victoria
Mildura, Buronga Riverside
Mount Buffalo
Nagambie Lakes
Warrnambool
Bunbury Foreshore
Bunbury Village
Coogee Beach
Discovery Resorts - Lake Argyle
Discovery Resorts - Rottnest Island
Kalgoorlie Goldfields
Lake Kununurra
Margaret River
Perth Airport
Pilbara, Karratha
Port Hedland
Swan Valley
Woodman Point

Discovery Holiday Parks is a proud member of the G'day Parks network

Discovery Events
Discovery Workstay
Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Discovery Intranet

This website collects data as you browse. As a part of our commitment to ensuring your comfort level with this arrangement, please indicate your preferences.

You can change these settings at any time from our privacy policy page.

COMMENTS

Recommendations on what version of 'A Journey to the West' for an
Journey to the west have so many adaptions and none of them are 100 percent accurate to the original story. I highly suggest 1986 tv version which is considered the national adaption of China. ... The worst part is it didn't demonstrate the characters in the best way. It depended too much on special effects to show demons' nature, but I would ...
Journey to the West
Journey to the West (Chinese: 西遊記; pinyin: Xīyóu Jì) is a Chinese novel published in the 16th century during the Ming dynasty and attributed to Wu Cheng'en.It is regarded as one of the great Chinese novels, and has been described as arguably the most popular literary work in East Asia. [2] It is best known in English-speaking countries through Arthur Waley's 1942 abridged translation ...
The Journey to the West, Revised Edition, Volume 1 (Volume 1)
Anthony C. Yu's translation of The Journey to the West,initially published in 1983, introduced English-speaking audiences to the classic Chinese novel in its entirety for the first time.Written in the sixteenth century, The Journey to the West tells the story of the fourteen-year pilgrimage of the monk Xuanzang, one of China's most famous religious heroes, and his three supernatural ...
Archive #11
Here I present PDFs comprising the complete four volume 2012 revised edition of The Journey to the West ( Xiyouji , 西遊記) translated by Anthony C. Yu (October 6, 1938 - May 12, 2015). This is considered THE most accurate translation of the tale available. I hope those who read and enjoy the digital version will support the official release.
Journey to the West (4-Volume Boxed Set)
Journey to the West is a classic Chinese mythological novel. It was written during the Ming Dynasty based on traditional folktales. Consisting of 100 chapters, this fantasy relates the adventures of a Tang Dynasty (618-907) priest Sanzang and his three disciples, Monkey, Pig and Friar Sand, as they travel west in search of Buddhist Sutra.
Journey to the West
XiyoujiPainting depicting a scene from Xiyouji (Journey to the West). Journey to the West, foremost Chinese comic novel, written by Wu Cheng'en, a novelist and poet of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). The novel is based on the actual 7th-century pilgrimage of the Buddhist monk Xuanzang (602-664) to India in search of sacred texts.
A Chinese Classic Journeys to the West: Julia Lovell's Translation of
By the time a 100-chapter version of Journey to the West was compiled and published in 1592, there had been little semblance between Xuanzang's original account of his travels and the fantasy ...
Classical Chinese Novels 101: Journey to the West
Journey to the West, or Xiyouji (西游记), is a late Ming dynasty (1368-1644) novel of comedic fantasy based on the religious pilgrimage of a 7th-century Chinese Buddhist monk to India in search of religious scripts. Published in the late 16th century, with the earliest extant edition dating back to 1592, Journey to the West is a hundred-chapter novel attributed to the author Wu Cheng'an.
'Journey to the West': Why the classic Chinese novel's mischievous
"Journey to the West" creates shared ground by highlighting the quest for a common humanity, epitomized by its best-loved character, the Monkey King - a symbol of the human mind.
The Journey to the West, Volume 1 by Wu Cheng'en
First published in 1592, The Journey to the West, volume I, comprises the first twenty-five chapters of Anthony C. Yu's four-volume translation of Hsi-yu Chi, one of the most beloved classics of Chinese literature.The fantastic tale recounts the sixteen-year pilgrimage of the monk Hsüan-tsang (596-664), one of China's most illustrious religious heroes, who journeyed to India with four animal ...
Best movie adaptation of "journey to the west" Book? : r/movies
Immortal Demon Slayer aka Tales of WuKong (2017) and if you want a more comedic POV then check out: Journey to the West (2013) & Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back (2017) EDIT: also The Forbidden Kingdom (2008) is always a classic and is the movie that got me interested in the story of Sun WuKong. Even though it's not really about him ...
The Journey to the West Summary
Summary. Last Updated September 5, 2023. Wu Cheng'en's Journey to the West is a meandering, fictionalized account of an actual seventh-century pilgrimage to India made by Xuanzang, a Chinese ...
Journey to the West: Introduction
Journey to the West (西游记, Xīyóu Jì), is a Chinese novel written in the 16th century by Wu Cheng'en (吴承恩, Wú Chéng'ēn). It is probably the most famous and best-loved novel in China and is considered one of the four great classical novels of Chinese literature. Its place in Chinese literature is roughly comparable to Homer ...
Journey to the West
Monkey leapt down from his tree, and coming forward said with a bow, "Fairy boy, I am a pupil who has come to study Immortality. I should not dream of making a disturbance.". " You a pupil!" said the boy laughing. "To be sure," said Monkey. "My master is lecturing," said the boy.
List of media adaptations of Journey to the West
Depiction of the Forbidden Temple's Sun Wukong as depicted in a scene in a Beijing opera. The pilgrims Sun Wukong, Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing at Western Paradise in production The Monkey Sun (Theatre Esence, 1984). Journey to the West, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature, was written in the 16th century and attributed to Wu Cheng'en. Stories and characters ...
Journey to the West
Unit 7 Journey to the West. ... a hopeless optimist whose faith in his tutor's mantra that his is "the best of all possible worlds" is tested beyond all limits. Voltaire's challenge to the aristocracy of his day proves refreshingly amusing and biting today. Original illustrations, songs, and comic book figures plumb the depths of this satire.
Journey to the West, Volume 1
First published in 1952, The Journey to the West, volume I, comprises the first twenty-five chapters of Anthony C. Yu's four-volume translation of Hsi-yu Chi, one of the most beloved classics of Chinese literature. The fantastic tale recounts the sixteen-year pilgrimage of the monk Hsüan-tsang (596-664), one of China's most illustrious religious heroes, who journeyed to India with four animal ...
Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons (2013)
Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons: Directed by Stephen Chow, Chi-Kin Kwok. With Shu Qi, Zhang Wen, Huang Bo, Show Lo. Tang Sanzang, an aspiring Buddhist hero tries to protect a village from three demons. He develops complex feelings for Miss Duan, the demon hunter who repeatedly helps him, and finally quests to meet the legendary Monkey King.
The Journey to the West, Revised Edition, Volume 1, Yu
Anthony C. Yu's translation of The Journey to the West,initially published in 1983, introduced English-speaking audiences to the classic Chinese novel in its entirety for the first time. Written in the sixteenth century, The Journey to the West tells the story of the fourteen-year pilgrimage of the monk Xuanzang, one of China's most famous religious heroes, and his three supernatural ...
The Journey to the West: Volume I
The Journey to the West: Volume I (1983), translated and edited by Anthony C. Yu, contains the first 25 chapters of a 100-chapter hero's epic, an allegory designed to impart knowledge on how to behave and what values to extol. Originally published in the late 16th century during the late Ming Dynasty, this epic is "loosely based on the famous pilgrimage of Xuanzang…the monk who went from ...
Comparing Black Myth: Wukong's Bajie to the Journey to the West Version
As it is based on the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West, Black Myth: Wukong has a pool of pre-established characters to pull from to tell its story. Throughout their time in Black ...
What is the best version of journey to the west? : r/audible
If you like legal thrillers, I just listened to The Substitution Order (Plus Catalog) and I am still reeling from that book!! The narrator was new to me but is now one of my top five - David Aaron Baker.
Best Games Inspired By Journey To The West, Ranked
Dive into the iconic Journey to the West with video games inspired by Wu Cheng'en's legendary tale. From SonSon's arcade platformer to Saiyuki's tactical RPG, experience the novel's heroes in gaming.
Knowing This Lore Makes Black Myth: Wukong Way More Enjoyable
With Black Myth: Wukong out now, players might know the lore inspiration behind the latest action game. But knowing the secrets of Journey to the West only enhances the whole experience.
Black Myth: Wukong
Chapter 5 of Black Myth: Wukong is one large reference to the main antagonist of the novel, the Bull Demon King. This King wasn't behind every single test the group from Journey to the West had to go through, but he was the most dangerous, and as Zhu Bajie explains, the Bull King is strong enough to beat Wukong in single combat.
From Dragon Ball to Enslaved, the Best Retellings of Journey to the West
British development studio, Ninja Theory, released Enslaved: Odyssey To The West on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2010. It's an action-adventure game that takes the story of Journey to the West and sets it in the future. After a global war, most of humanity is wiped out and the world becomes overrun by murderous robots.
9 movies like Black Myth: Wukong to continue your journey to the west
Best movies of 2024; Best action movies of 2024; ... Wukong to continue your journey to the west. There are more than a few cool movies based on Journey to the West. by Austen Goslin and Pete Volk.
The best of the west road trip
This 7-10 day journey will take you through the rugged outback, stunning coastlines and some of the best National Parks Australia has to offer, so just bring your holiday mode and get ready to explore. To make your planning easy, we've put together a road trip with the best spots you can't miss! Stop number one - Onslow

Amazon Prime includes:

Return this item for free

Image Unavailable

Follow the author

The Journey to the West, Revised Edition, Volume 1 (Volume 1) Paperback – Illustrated, December 21, 2012

Frequently bought together

Customers who bought this item also bought

Editorial Reviews

Product details

Videos for this product

Customer Review: GREAT

About the author

Customer reviews

Customers say

Reviews with images

Journey to the west

Top reviews from the United States

Top reviews from other countries

Journey to the West Research

1. Book blurb

2. PDF Files

Share this:

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

A Chinese Classic Journeys to the West: Julia Lovell’s Translation of “Monkey King”

LARB Staff Recommendations

A Search for the Soul of the Mainland

Did you know LARB is a reader-supported nonprofit?

Classical Chinese Novels 101: Journey to the West

Bibliographical References

Visual Sources

Let the posts come to you!

‘Journey to the West’: Why the classic Chinese novel’s mischievous monkey – and his very human quest – has inspired centuries of adaptations

Disclosure statement

One journey, many stories

The deeper journey

Mind monkey

Director of STEM

Community member - Training Delivery and Development Committee (Volunteer part-time)

Chief Executive Officer

Finance Business Partner

Head of Evidence to Action

Journey to the West: Introduction

Q: What is Journey to the West about?

Q: Is Journey to the West based on a real story?

Q: In short, what is Journey to the West about?

Q: How about the Monkey King and other famous characters?

Q: How long is the original book?

Q: Is the book suitable for Chinese beginners?

Q: Where can I get these books?

by Jeff Pepper

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Other posts you might like

Dong Chinese | Great Tool to Learn Chinese

Business in Chinese and Chinese Culture

How Is Social Media Slang Changing the Formal Use of Chinese Language?

Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons

Top cast 35

More like this

Did you know

User reviews 66

Technical specs

Related news

More to explore

The Journey to the West, Revised Edition, Volume 1

Related Titles

The Rise and Fall of Modern Japanese Literature

For Dignity, Justice, and Revolution

Be the first to know

The Journey to the West: Volume I

Summary and Study Guide

Related Titles

Featured Collections

How Black Myth: Wukong's Bajie Compares to His Journey to the West Counterpart

The Unwritten Rules of Black Myth: Wukong

How Black Myth: Wukong's Bajie Compares to Journey to the West's Bajie

Not All of Bajie's Journey to the West Characteristics Are Represented in Black Myth: Wukong's Bajie

Black Myth: Wukong

Best Games Inspired By Journey To The West, Ranked

The Witcher & 9 Other Amazing Games Based On Books

Journey To The East Side Of The Screen