Journey to the West: A Classic for Children to Read

Author: Wen Ning
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-09-01
Features: Wu Cheng'en's Journey to the West follows the story of Tang Sanzang's pilgrimage for scriptures. The original novel consists of 100 chapters. The first seven chapters narrate the birth of Sun Wukong, his rebellion in Heaven, and his eventual subjugation by Buddha to the Five Elements Mountain. From the eighth to the twelfth chapters, the story mainly describes the creation of scriptures by Sakyamuni, Guanyin visiting a monk, Wei Zheng slaying a dragon, and the birth of Xuanzang, explaining the origins of the pilgrimage. The remaining chapters primarily depict Sun Wukong and his companions protecting Tang Sanzang on his journey westward to retrieve the true scriptures. Along the way, they subdue demons and monsters, travel 108,000 li (a Chinese unit of distance), and endure 81 trials over 14 years, finally succeeding in obtaining the scriptures. The work is rich in imagination, features intricate plots, vivid and humorous language, and creates highly distinctive, widely recognized characters such as Sun Wukong, Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing.