Lesson 7A: Ways of Thinking and Living in China The Journey to the West Lesson 7A: Ways of Thinking and Living in China

The Monkey King is a main character in 西游记 The Journey to the West (Wu Cheng’en), published around 1592 - the most famous novel in Chinese literature

The novel is based on real-life travels of Buddhist monk, Xuan Zang, who journeyed to India to bring back Buddhist holy texts (602-664 CE) Although the story is about collecting Buddhist holy texts from India, Monkey, the Jade Emperor and many of the creatures in the story, are from Daoist legends - illustrating the intermingling of beliefs and traditions previously discussed.

Monkey: Journey to the West Gorillaz produced an album of songs based on Journey to the West featuring all of the main characters to introduce them to a Western audience. The main characters, Monkey, Pigsy and Sandy, are all immortals who have done something wrong and are being given a chance to make up for it by escorting Xuan Zang (also known as Tripitaka) on the journey. This good-humoured mix is a tribute to the Monkey TV series and captures many of the different elements of the story, starting with Monkey’s birth from the stone egg. It also introduces all the main characters and emphasizes the central Buddhist theme, as well as showing some of the hair-raising adventures the travellers meet on their Journey to the West.

After causing all sorts of trouble in heaven, Monkey had been imprisoned under a mountain. He was held there for 500 years before being freed by Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, so that he could accompany and protect Xuan Zang on his journey. Monkey’s weapon is a magic staff that was once a pillar form the Dragon King’s palace. He can make it change size, and shrinks it to the size of a needle to carry behind his ear.

The image on the left is from the Beijing opera where Journey to the West is a favourite story. Guanyin also gives Xuan Zang two other magical companions to act as bodyguards: Zhu Bajie (Pigsy) and Sha Wujing (Sandy).

Zhu Bajie - Pigsy Listen in the video clip for reference to Laozi - i.e. intermingling of traditions and beliefs Zhu Bajie was a heavenly general who disgraced himself and was turned into a pig monster. He is very strong but also very stupid and greedy (and is always chasing beautiful women). His weapon is a rake.

Sandy – Sha Wujing Sha Wujing was a heavenly general who broke one of the Jade Emperor’s precious vases. His punishment was to be turned into a man-eating sand-demon. His weapon is a spade.

Monkey and the White Bone Demon On the journey, Xuan Zang, Monkey, Pigsy and Sandy encounter many dangers and adventures. All these adventures are collected and retold in Journey to the West. One of the adventures is the story of Monkey and the White Bone Demon - read it as a class. Read the story Monkey defeats the White Bone Demon - see British Council pack p8

Xuanzang’s journey to India took 16 years. At one point, he was lost in the desert and a flock of wild geese appeared to lead him to water. In the background is the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi’an, built to house the Buddhist relics and scriptures he brought back

Children write a short summary of Journey to the West and work in pairs (using atlases or Google Earth) to draw in the route of Xuan Zang’s real journey, labelling all the countries you would travel through if you followed the route today - template on p11 of British Council pack.