Journey to the West

Journey to the West (Traditional Chinese: 西遊記; Simplified Chinese: 西游记; pinyin: Xī Yóu Jì, WG: Hsi Yu Chi) is a classic of Chinese literature, and perhaps the most well-known classic amongst the younger generation. It was published anonymously in the 1590s, and no direct evidence of its authorship survives, but it is traditionally ascribed to the scholar Wu Cheng'en. The novel tells a fictionalized and mythologized version of the Buddhist monk Xuanzang's pilgrimage to India to fetch religious texts.

In the novel, the monk Xuanzang (玄奘) is called by the Bodhisattva Guan Yin to travel to India to obtain copies of certain important Buddhist Sutras that are not available in China. He is accompanied on his journey by three disciples – the monkey king Sun Wukong (孫悟空), the pig-monster Zhu Wuneng (豬悟能), and the half water demon Sha Wujing (沙悟淨) – all of whom have agreed to help him along the way as an atonement for past sins. His horse that Xuanzang rides is itself a dragon prince.

Some scholars propose that the book is a work of satire on the effeteness of the Chinese government at the time. As a work of literature, it is of the highest quality, known as one of the four greatest works of Chinese literature (others are: Dream of the Red Chamber, Water Margin, and Romance of Three Kingdoms). Journey to the West, evident throughout the novel, has a strong background in Chinese folk religion, Chinese mythology, religion, and value systems.

One of the supernatural helpers, the monkey king Sun Wukong, has become one of the most famous and beloved characters in Chinese literature. His recognition factor and popularity in Asia have been compared to those of Mickey Mouse in Western countries (although, considering his personality, Bugs Bunny might be a better comparison).

Part of the novel's enduring popularity comes from the fact that it works on multiple levels: it is an adventure story, a dispenser of spiritual insight, and an extended metaphor in which the group of pilgrims journeying toward India stands for the individual journeying toward enlightenment.

Related topics

• Monkey — live action television series based on Journey to the West
• Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z — (Japanese manga series loosely inspired by Journey to the West)
• Dragon Ball — Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, anime versions of the Dragon Ball/Dragon Ball Z manga
• Gensomaden Saiyuki — (another anime inspired by the myth)
• Journey to the West, a Chinese 1986 live action series and some other adaptations.
• A Chinese Odyssey by Stephen Chow.
• Heavenly Legend — a 1998 film by Tai Seng Entertainment starring Kung Fu kid Sik Siu Loong is partially based on this legend.
• The Lost Empire — a 2001 NBC miniseries based on "Journey to the West"
• Westward Journey — a MMORPG
• Starzinger — science fiction version of the story

Notable English-language translations

• Monkey: A Folk-Tale of China (1942), an abridged translation by Arthur Waley. For many years, the best translation available in English; it only translates thirty out of the hundred chapters. (Penguin reprint ISBN 0140441115)
• Journey to the West (1977-1983), a complete translation in four volumes by Anthony C. Yu.
  University of Chicago Press: HC ISBN 0226971457, ISBN 0226971465, ISBN 0226971473, ISBN 0226971481; PB ISBN 0226971503, ISBN 0226971511; ISBN 0226971538; ISBN 0226971546.

External links

• Complete novel in Simplified Characters (utf-16 encoding).