The Monkey King, also known as Sun Wukong (traditional Chinese: 孫悟空; simplified Chinese: 孙悟空) in Mandarin Chinese, is a legendary mythical figure best known as one of the main characters in the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West and many later stories and adaptations. In Journey to the West, Sun Wukong is a monkey born from a stone who acquires supernatural powers through Taoist practices. After rebelling against heaven, he is imprisoned under a mountain by the Buddha. After five hundred years, he accompanies the monk Tang Sanzang and two other disciples on a journey to get back Buddhist sutras from the West (India), where Buddha and his followers dwell. Sun Wukong possesses many abilities. He has amazing strength and is able to support the weight of two heaven mountains on his shoulders while running “with the speed of a meteor”. He is extremely fast, able to travel 108,000 li (54,000 km, 34,000 mi) in one somersault. Sun Wukong also acquires the 72 Earthly Transformations, which allow him to access 72 unique powers, including the ability to transform into sundry animals and objects. He is a skilled fighter, capable of defeating the best warriors of heaven. His hair has magical properties, capable of making copies of himself or transforming into various weapons, animals and other things. He also shows partial weather manipulation skills and can stop people in place with fixing magic. As one of the most enduring Chinese literary characters, the Monkey King has a varied background and colorful cultural history. His inspiration might come from an amalgam of Chinese and Indian culture. The Monkey King was possibly influenced by the Hindu deity Hanuman, the Monkey-God, from the Ramayana, via stories passed by Buddhists who traveled to China. The Monkey King’s origin story includes the wind blowing on a stone, whereas Hanuman is the son of the God of Wind. Some scholars believe the character originated from the first disciple of Xuanzang, Shi Banto.
First Appearance Journey to the West (Chinese: 西遊記; pinyin: Xī Yóu Jì, 16th century)
First Publisher ○
Appearance List Literature: Journey to the West (China, 16th century), Xiyoubu (西遊補, “A Supplement to the Journey to the West,” c. 1640), Monkey: A Folk-Tale of China (Abridged translation by Arthur Waley, 1942). Television: Saiyūki (西遊記, Japan, 1978 to 1980), Journey to the West (China, 1986).
Sample Read Journey to the West (1986 TV series) [YT]
Description The Monkey King, also known as Sun Wukong (traditional Chinese: 孫悟空; simplified Chinese: 孙悟空) in Mandarin Chinese, is a legendary mythical figure best known as one of the main characters in the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West and many later stories and adaptations. In Journey to the West, Sun Wukong is a monkey born from a stone who acquires supernatural powers through Taoist practices. After rebelling against heaven, he is imprisoned under a mountain by the Buddha. After five hundred years, he accompanies the monk Tang Sanzang and two other disciples on a journey to get back Buddhist sutras from the West (India), where Buddha and his followers dwell. Sun Wukong possesses many abilities. He has amazing strength and is able to support the weight of two heaven mountains on his shoulders while running “with the speed of a meteor”. He is extremely fast, able to travel 108,000 li (54,000 km, 34,000 mi) in one somersault. Sun Wukong also acquires the 72 Earthly Transformations, which allow him to access 72 unique powers, including the ability to transform into sundry animals and objects. He is a skilled fighter, capable of defeating the best warriors of heaven. His hair has magical properties, capable of making copies of himself or transforming into various weapons, animals and other things. He also shows partial weather manipulation skills and can stop people in place with fixing magic. As one of the most enduring Chinese literary characters, the Monkey King has a varied background and colorful cultural history. His inspiration might come from an amalgam of Chinese and Indian culture. The Monkey King was possibly influenced by the Hindu deity Hanuman, the Monkey-God, from the Ramayana, via stories passed by Buddhists who traveled to China. The Monkey King’s origin story includes the wind blowing on a stone, whereas Hanuman is the son of the God of Wind. Some scholars believe the character originated from the first disciple of Xuanzang, Shi Banto.
, 