Journey to the West (Color Illustrations Edition)

Author: Wu Cheng'en (Ming Dynasty)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-06-01
Features: Wu Cheng'en's Journey to the West follows the story of Tang Sanzang's pilgrimage for Buddhist scriptures as its main plot. The original text consists of 100 chapters. The first seven chapters narrate the birth of Sun Wukong, his rebellion in Heaven, and his eventual subjugation by Buddha, who seals him under the Five Elements Mountain. From the eighth to the twelfth chapters, the story primarily describes the creation of Buddhist 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 mainly depict Sun Wukong and his companions protecting Tang Sanzang on his journey westward to retrieve the true scriptures. Along the way, they battle demons and monsters, travel 18,000 li (10,000 and 8000 miles), face fourteen major battles against demons, and overcome eighty-one trials in total before finally returning with 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.