Journey to the West: Image and Text

Author: Gao Zhiyue, Ren Zhichang, Jin Jiafang, etc.
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: China's comic book art has existed since the Western Han Dynasty. It matured after the widespread use of lithography in the late Qing Dynasty. After the 1930s, drawing inspiration from the techniques of sound films, "living" comic books with speaking mouths appeared in large numbers, and their themes became increasingly diverse, appealing to a broad readership, including adults. Among these, the most influential works were likely those based on historical classics, especially the famous novels of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Journey to the West tells the main story of Sun Wukong protecting Tang Sanzang on his journey to the West to retrieve sacred scriptures, defeating demons and overcoming numerous challenges along the way, ultimately succeeding in his mission. The journey of Tang Sanzang is a real historical story. The Tang monk Xuanzang spent 17 years traveling from Chang'an, covering tens of thousands of miles, and returned to India with over 600 Sanskrit Buddhist scriptures. Xuanzang dictated his experiences of the westward journey, which were written by his disciple Bianji as The Record of the Western Regions During the Great Tang Dynasty. Later, his disciples Huili and Yanzong wrote The Biography of the Venerable Xuanzang of the Great Tang's Daxing Temple, detailing Xuanzang's journey to the West. The Journey to the West is a great romantic novel. It not only creates a magical and rich fantasy world but also possesses profound ideological depth and exquisite artistic form. The entire book has 100 chapters. Before the 14th chapter, it intersperses stories such as the Great Rebellion in Heaven, Wei Zheng slaying a dragon, Tang Taizong's journey to the underworld, Liu Quan offering melons, and Xuanzang being summoned to retrieve sacred scriptures. Among these, the Great Rebellion in Heaven is the most exciting part of The Journey to the West.