If you are Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, or Korean, you would automatically know Journey To The West. This legend fantasy adventure story deals with The Monkey King. There have been countless films and TV series for Journey To The West in Hong Kong, Taiwan, mainland China, Vietnam, Korea, and Japan since the 1940s. Even young Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese people between the ages of 3 years old to 40 years old know this Chinese fantasy adventure story! Just ask any of these people if they know the Monkey King, and they will have their eyes light up and say Yes! That is how popular The Monkey King and Journey To The West are among East Asians worldwide. Last year, 2008, the Monkey King reached America when the movie The Forbidden Kingdom starring Jackie Chan and Jet Li was released. Jet Li played the Monkey King from the classical fantasy Chinese novel Journey To The West.

The 100 chapter epic classical Chinese fantasy novel Journey To The West was written by Wu Cheng En in the 1500s in China during the laster part of the Ming Dynasty. The plot takes place during the Tang Dynasty and deals with the Buddhist monk, Tang Sanzang, whose mission it is to travel on horseback from China to India to fetch the Buddhist scriptures or sutras from the great holy Buddha himself. Sanzang has help. There are 4 disciples: 1) a white horse 2) the Monkey King (Sun Wu Kong) 3) Pig (Zhu Ba Jie) and 4) Sand Priest (Sha Wu Jing). Along they way, the group of 5 Buddhists encounter monsters, demons, and fiends who want to eat Sanzang because his flesh is considered holy and can give eternal life and immortality to any who eats it. So Monkey, Pig, and the Sand Priest each have magical powers to protect Sanzang.

East Asian families worldwide of Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, or Korean ethnicity have watched cartoons, TV series, and movie films of this classical Chinese fantasy novel.

Monkey is the most powerful of the Buddhist disciples with a magical staff as a weapon and has magic to perform 72 earthly transformations. He is arrogant and fearless and has a sense of humor and is sarcastic. He wears a gold band around his head to keep him behaved during the journey. If Monkey disobeys Sanzang, then Sanzang chants a Buddhist magic words in silence that makes the gold band become very tight giving Monkey a huge headache! Pig is the second most powerful Buddhist disciple. He has a magical rake as a weapon and possesses magic powers to perform 32 earthly transformations. Both Monkey and Pig do most of the kung fu fighting against the demons and monsters. Sand Priest is the 3rd strongest, and he has a Chinese rod weapon with blades on both ends of the staff and only knows kung fu fighting, but no magical transformations. Sand Priest mainly stays with Sanzang while Monkey and Pig are actively kung fu fighting the demons and monsters.

I highly recommend you all to read the English translation. Although very long, the novel is awesome! There are 100 chapters of adventure and comedy. A must read! If you have a chance, watch the movie, The Forbidden Kingdom, to appreciate this classic novel as well. YouTube has plenty of videos about Journey To The West and Monkey King.

Extremely extremely popular among East Asians today worldwide. In fact, there are plans to release another Monkey King/Journey To The West TV series this year in mainland China! There are just way too many TV series based on this classic! Just check out YouTube!