![]() One day, the monkeys made a bet with one another while they were playing in the water. He began to explore the forest and soon discovered a group of monkeys to live with. The Jade Emperor saw this, but dismissed the small macaque as a possible source of such a great energy.Īlthough he was a newborn, the monkey could already walk and talk. When the monkey opened his eyes, a bright light shone from them into Heaven. ![]() ![]() When a hard wind blew a magical stone from the mountain’s peak, it cracked open and released a monkey. He was born on the side of Mount Huaguo in ancient times. The Birth of the Monkey KingĪccording to Journey to the West, Sun Wukong had no true family. Books, music, video games, and manga from across East Asia feature characters that are at least in part based on the popular figure of the Monkey King. Sun Wukong also inspired later characters and themes in Chinese culture. Journey to the West has been adapted several times for stage, film, and television. The Monkey King has been portrayed in many forms of media. Instead, he is viewed as a cultural hero and popular literary character. In particular, the character was likely influenced by the monkey god Hanuman in the Ramayana, a Hindu epic.īecause Sun Wukong was not a traditional Chinese deity, he is not broadly worshiped as a god. Most historians believe that the Monkey King character was inspired by figures from Hindu and Buddhist texts. Sun Wukong was not entirely invented by the author of Journey to the West, however. Its entertainment value and moral lessons have made it popular for over four centuries. The Ming Era novel combines adventure and humor with Buddhist and Taoist morality. It is based in part on the journey of a historical figure named Xuanzang who made the trip in the 7th century in defiance of the emperor’s travel ban. Inspired in part by historical events, it concerns the pilgrimage of a monk named Tang Sanzang to Central Asia and India in search of more complete and accurate Buddhist texts. Attributed to Wu Cheng’en, Journey to the West has been described as the most popular and influential text in East Asian literature. He did not appear until the 16th century when he was a character in one of China’s greatest classical novels, Journey to the West. Sun Wukong is not generally thought of as a god in Chinese folklore. ![]() His Journey to the West would inspire the culture for centuries to come. To reach his full spiritual potential and atone for his bad behavior, Sun Wukong had to take one of the most famous journeys in Chinese literature. In the end, he was a master of the Tao and an enlightened Buddha. Sun Wukong began his story as an intelligent but rebellious demon. In a short period of time, however, he was one of East Asia’s most beloved heroes. The Monkey King did not appear in China until he was made famous in a 16th-century novel. Among these, Sun Wukong is one of the most famous. In a culture that takes pride in its long history, legendary figures from thousands of years ago can be seen as historically accurate.Ī few figures have much more recent origins, however. Many well-known characters from Chinese folklore have ancient origins.
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