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Home » Sunday » Now and Then
吴承恩 Wu Cheng'en (circa 1501-1582) - Man behind Monkey King
By Zhang Ciyun |
February 27, 2011, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
Wu Cheng'en was a renowned writer and poet of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). He was also widely credited as the author of "Journey to the West," one of the Four Great Classic Novels of Chinese literature, despite some dispute over the book's true authorship.
Wu was born in today's Huai'an, Jiangsu Province in east China. His father was a small merchant, but had strong inclination for study. He passed on his passion to his son and when the young Wu was only a teenager, he had already excelled among his peers as a prodigious student.
The young Wu was also extremely interested in bizarre stories. He collected a large number of books about ghosts, animal spirits and fairies, which probably later offered him the inspiration for many exotic stories contained in the great novel "Journey to the West."
Later, Wu sat for the imperial civil service examinations twice, but he failed both times. Some scholars today believe that Wu's failure in the examinations were due largely to his independent thinking and righteous personality. He didn't want to flatter the authorities in his prose and instead, he boldly criticized the widespread corruption among officials.
Eventually, Wu landed one or two positions as a minor official. Obviously, he didn't like that very much and later, he resigned and returned to his hometown to concentrate on writing as a "hermit."
Wu had long cherished a desire to write a book about the 17-year journey taken by Xuanzang (circa AD 602-664), a famous Buddhist monk, who visited India and searched for sacred books of Buddhism. On his return to China, Xuanzang, also a scholar, traveler and translator, devoted himself to translating Buddhist scriptures into Chinese until his death.
However, not much literature was available about the great monk's travel to India. To prepare for his book, Wu borrowed money from a friend and hired several scholars employed by the Imperial Academy to copy some historical data from its library for him. At that time, it was forbidden for outsiders to visit the academy, the highest institute of learning in China.
It took the writer more than seven years to complete the 100-chapter book, "Journey to the West."
Based on the actual pilgrimage of Xuanzang, this novel, written in the vernacular Chinese at that time, comprises about 40 fantasy and adventure stories. Wu created numerous distinctive characters including a great variety of spirits and supernatural animals. However, among all of them, Sun Wukong or the Monkey King, is by far the most popular.
The Monkey King, a cunning, resourceful and mischievous creature, is the true hero in the book. He once rebelled against Heaven and created havoc in the Heavenly Palace. Later, he was commissioned to help escort the Buddhist monk Xuanzang on a pilgrimage to the west.
Despite his many ill-behaved pranks, the Monkey King is praised in the book as a loyal disciple, a righteous protector of the common people, a fearless fighter against all evils and an immortal armed with an unrivaled arsenal of skills.
For instance, the Monkey King can travel thousands of miles in one somersault and transform himself into 72 different creatures or objects. In addition, he has a pair of "fire-golden" eyes that are not only clairvoyant, but can also see through the disguise of all evils.
Today, the Monkey King stories have become part of Chinese folk and literary tradition. And the book itself is widely deemed a brilliant literary masterwork for both enlightenment and entertainment.
Wu was born in today's Huai'an, Jiangsu Province in east China. His father was a small merchant, but had strong inclination for study. He passed on his passion to his son and when the young Wu was only a teenager, he had already excelled among his peers as a prodigious student.
The young Wu was also extremely interested in bizarre stories. He collected a large number of books about ghosts, animal spirits and fairies, which probably later offered him the inspiration for many exotic stories contained in the great novel "Journey to the West."
Later, Wu sat for the imperial civil service examinations twice, but he failed both times. Some scholars today believe that Wu's failure in the examinations were due largely to his independent thinking and righteous personality. He didn't want to flatter the authorities in his prose and instead, he boldly criticized the widespread corruption among officials.
Eventually, Wu landed one or two positions as a minor official. Obviously, he didn't like that very much and later, he resigned and returned to his hometown to concentrate on writing as a "hermit."
Wu had long cherished a desire to write a book about the 17-year journey taken by Xuanzang (circa AD 602-664), a famous Buddhist monk, who visited India and searched for sacred books of Buddhism. On his return to China, Xuanzang, also a scholar, traveler and translator, devoted himself to translating Buddhist scriptures into Chinese until his death.
However, not much literature was available about the great monk's travel to India. To prepare for his book, Wu borrowed money from a friend and hired several scholars employed by the Imperial Academy to copy some historical data from its library for him. At that time, it was forbidden for outsiders to visit the academy, the highest institute of learning in China.
It took the writer more than seven years to complete the 100-chapter book, "Journey to the West."
Based on the actual pilgrimage of Xuanzang, this novel, written in the vernacular Chinese at that time, comprises about 40 fantasy and adventure stories. Wu created numerous distinctive characters including a great variety of spirits and supernatural animals. However, among all of them, Sun Wukong or the Monkey King, is by far the most popular.
The Monkey King, a cunning, resourceful and mischievous creature, is the true hero in the book. He once rebelled against Heaven and created havoc in the Heavenly Palace. Later, he was commissioned to help escort the Buddhist monk Xuanzang on a pilgrimage to the west.
Despite his many ill-behaved pranks, the Monkey King is praised in the book as a loyal disciple, a righteous protector of the common people, a fearless fighter against all evils and an immortal armed with an unrivaled arsenal of skills.
For instance, the Monkey King can travel thousands of miles in one somersault and transform himself into 72 different creatures or objects. In addition, he has a pair of "fire-golden" eyes that are not only clairvoyant, but can also see through the disguise of all evils.
Today, the Monkey King stories have become part of Chinese folk and literary tradition. And the book itself is widely deemed a brilliant literary masterwork for both enlightenment and entertainment.
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