Journey to the West (Illustrated Collector's Edition)

Author: (Ming) Wu Cheng'en
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-04-01
Features: Artistic images in Journey to the West. They are based on the realistic characteristics of human beings and also incorporate the features of various animals that served as their prototypes. Journey to the West is an outstanding fantasy novel that emerged after the middle period of the Ming Dynasty, representing the highest achievement of ancient Chinese long. For centuries, it has been popular both domestically and internationally, celebrated and widely read, with a profound influence. The main story of Journey to the West depicts the journey of Sun Wukong protecting Tang Monk to the Western Heaven to obtain the Buddhist scriptures, enduring ninety-nine and eight difficulties. The pilgrimage of Tang Monk was a real historical event. Approximately thirteen hundred years ago, in the first year of the Zhenguan reign (627), a young monk named Xuanzang, aged only twenty-five, left the capital Chang'an and journeyed alone to India for studies. After departing from Chang'an, he passed through Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, overcoming numerous hardships and obstacles, before finally reaching India. There, he studied for over two years and was honored as the main speaker at a major Buddhist scholastic debate. In the nineteenth year of the Zhenguan reign (645), Xuanzang returned to Chang'an, bringing back 657 Buddhist scriptures. His journey to the Western Heaven spanned nineteen years and tens of thousands of miles, a legendary long march that caused a sensation at the time. Later, Xuanzang dictated his experiences of the journey, which were compiled by his disciple Bianji into the Records of the Western Regions of the Great Tang Dynasty in twelve volumes. However, this book primarily described the history, geography, and transportation of the various countries along the way, with little narrative. It was his disciples Huili and Yancong who wrote the Biography of the Venerable Master Xuanzang of the Great Tang's Daci'en Temple, which added many mythical elements to Xuanzang's experiences. From then on, the story of Tang Monk's pilgrimage began to spread widely among the people. During the Southern Song Dynasty, there was The Poetic Discourse on the Journey to the West of the Great Tang's Tripitaka, and in the Jin Dynasty, there were Tang Tripitaka and The Peach Blossom Banquet in the court dramas. In the Yuan Dynasty, there were Wu Changling's Tang Tripitaka's Journey to the West and an anonymous The God Erlang Locks Sun Wukong, all of which laid the foundation for the creation of Journey to the West. Wu Cheng'en, styled Ruzhong and known as Shaoyang Mountain Man, was a native of Shanyang in Huai'an Prefecture (now Huai'an City, Jiangsu Province). He was born around the years 1500–1510 between the Hongzhi and Zhengde reigns and died around 1582. His great-grandfather and grandfather were scholars who served as instructors and teachers in county schools. However, by Wu Rui's generation, due to poverty, he was adopted into the Xu family and took over their business, becoming a small merchant. Despite this, the Wu family maintained its tradition of scholarship. It is said that Wu Rui, though a merchant, was upright in character and loved reading and discussing current affairs, which greatly influenced Wu Cheng'en. Wu Cheng'en was very intelligent from a young age, entered school early, achieved success in his youth, and was renowned in his hometown. The Huai'an Prefecture Gazetteer (Volume 16) describes Wu Cheng'en as "bright and witty, with extensive knowledge, able to compose poetry and prose at the drop of a hat." However, Wu Cheng'en's adult life was not smooth. He faced repeated setbacks in the imperial examinations and only became a supplementary in his forties. In his fifties, he served as the county magistrate of Changxing County in Zhejiang and later as the Jixian (a minor post) in the Jing Wang's court. His creation of Journey to the West likely occurred after middle age, or possibly in his later years, though the exact time remains uncertain. In addition to Journey to the West, he also wrote the long poem The Song of Erlang Searching for Mountains and The Legend of Yu Ding. The extant Collected Works of Master Shaoyang (in four volumes) include one volume of poetry and three volumes of prose, compiled posthumously by Qiu Du. Journey to the West is a 100-capter novel, structurally divisible into three parts. From the beginning to the eighth chapter is the first part, primarily depicting the birth, apprenticeship, and rebellion of Sun Wukong in Heaven. This is the most exciting part of the book, filled with chaos as Sun Wukong travels heaven and earth, fully showcasing his rebellious spirit. The eighth to twelfth chapters form the second part, focusing on Tang Monk's origins and the reasons for his pilgrimage. The thirteenth chapter to the end is the third part, detailing Tang Monk's journey to the West, where he later acquires Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing as disciples, faces ninety-nine and eight trials, and ultimately obtains the true scriptures, achieving enlightenment. Journey to the West presents a dazzling fantasy world, leaving readers in awe of the author's rich and bold imagination. Yet, like all literary works, it reflects a certain aspect of social life, and as an outstanding representative of fantasy novels, Journey to the West is no exception. As Lu Xun noted in A Brief History of Chinese Fiction, Journey to the West "satirizes and teases the social customs of the time, exaggeratedly depicting them." He also said, "The author has a talent for comedy, so even when describing fantastical events, he often interweaves humorous remarks, making the gods and demons human and the spirits worldly." Indeed, through the fantastical world of Journey to the West, we can see the reflection of real society everywhere. For example, in the creation of Sun Wukong's character, the author embodies his ideals. Sun Wukong's indomitable spirit, his fearless defiance with the golden-banded staff, sweeping away all demons and monsters, reflects the people's desires and aspirations. He represents a force of justice, embodying the people's belief in overcoming all difficulties. He also represents a righteous power, showing the people's unwavering confidence in victory. The demons and monsters encountered on the journey are either manifestations of natural disasters or symbols of evil forces. Their greed, cruelty, cunning, and treachery are also characteristics of the dark forces in feudal society. Moreover, the Heavenly Palace ruled by the Jade Emperor and the Western Paradise governed by the Buddha are deeply colored by the hues of human society. The author's attitude toward the highest rulers of feudal society is also worth noting. In Journey to the West, it is difficult to find a competent emperor; as for the ignorant and incompetent Jade Emperor, the king of the Xu Chi Kingdom who favors demons, or the king of the Biqiu Kingdom who uses children's hearts as medicine, they are either tyrants or autocrats. The portrayal of these characters, even if done casually, carries strong realistic significance. Journey to the West not only has profound ideological content but also achieves remarkable artistic success. With its rich and extraordinary imagination, vivid and winding plot, lifelike characters, and humorous language, it constructs a unique artistic palace of Journey to the West. However, I believe the greatest artistic achievement of Journey to the West lies in its successful creation of the immortal artistic figures of Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie. Sun Wukong is the protagonist of Journey to the West, an extraordinary hero. He possesses boundless abilities, fearless of heaven or earth, and has an indomitable spirit of rebellion. He has the grandeur of a great hero but also the flaw of enjoying flattery. He is clever, brave, and playful. His most outstanding characteristic is his courage to fight. He dares to challenge the supreme and omnipotent Jade Emperor, earning the title of "Great Sage Equal to Heaven." He dares to fight against demons and monsters, never missing a demon with his fiery eyes and golden-banded staff, and showing no mercy to them under the staff. He dares to fight against all difficulties, never retreating or bowing his head. This is Sun Wukong, a dazzling mythological hero. As for Zhu Bajie, his abilities are far inferior to Sun Wukong, and he is certainly no heroic figure, yet his character is equally well-crafted. Zhu Bajie is a comedic figure, simple-minded, strong, and brave in fighting against demons and monsters, serving as Sun Wukong's reliable assistant. However, he is full of flaws, such as his love for food, petty greed, lust, fear of difficulties, and his tendency to give up halfway, always thinking of the wife in Gaogao Village. Sometimes he lies but cannot articulate his lies well due to his clumsy mouth. He also occasionally provokes Tang Monk to recite the mantra of the golden-banded staff to make Sun Wukong suffer, and he even hides some private money in his ear. His flaws are many, reflecting the vices of a petty owner. The author's criticism of Zhu Bajie's shortcomings is severe but well-intentioned. He is not a completely negated character, so people do not dislike Zhu Bajie but rather find him quite real and endearing. Tang Monk's character is also well-written, but compared to Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie, he is somewhat inferior. Sha Wujing is even more lacking in distinct personality traits, which cannot be said to be a shortcoming of Journey to the West. Despite this, the artistic achievements of Journey to the West remain astonishing. Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie, with their, have established an immortal artistic monument in the history of Chinese literature.