Illustrated Picture Book of Chinese Classics, Issue 1: Journey to the West

Author: Daxiang Publishing House
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Nurtured by the spirit of heaven and earth and the essence of the sun and moon, a stone monkey emerged from a mystical stone on Flower-Fruit Mountain. The Bodhi Patriarch named him Sun Wukong and taught him the 72 transformations and the ability to leap 108,000 li with a single somersault. Wukong was stubborn and restless, causing chaos in the heavens and proclaiming himself the Great Sage Equaling Heaven. However, with the boundless power of Buddhist law, Wukong was ultimately subdued by the Buddha and pressed under the Five Elements Mountain, enduring 500 years of suffering. It wasn’t until Tang Monk went west to retrieve the Buddhist scriptures that Wukong was freed and taken as his disciple. Later, Tang Monk also took Zhu Bajie, a foolish and comical pig, and Sha Wujing, a kind and brave ox, as his disciples. On the long and arduous journey west, how will the four disciples of Tang Monk face countless trials and overcome the 81 challenges set by demons and monsters? How will they turn danger into safety and successfully retrieve the true scriptures?
Wu Cheng’en, the author of Journey to the West, was a novelist from the Ming Dynasty. From a young age, he was exceptionally talented, but he faced repeated failures in both the imperial examinations and his career. It wasn’t until middle age that he finally obtained a humble official position. This experience shaped his arrogant personality and deepened his understanding of the dark realities of feudal society. Despite enduring countless upheavals, Wu Cheng’en never yielded to poverty, hardship, or the harshness of the world. In the bitter cold of frost and snow, he created the ancient Chinese fantasy novel Journey to the West, a towering masterpiece in the mountain of art.
The newly released Illustrated Classics of China for Children is a series of books meticulously drawn and compiled based on the original text, specially dedicated to young readers. The exquisite illustrations by outstanding artists complement the text perfectly, vividly recreating the rich social life and profound artistic realm of the original work. The expressive text, lifelike illustrations, and standard phonetic annotations aligned with primary school teaching standards will serve as a bridge for children to understand and appreciate the essence of traditional Chinese culture.