Journey to the West (2004) 西游记
Author: Wu Cheng'en
Publisher: Yuelu Publishing House
Format: Paperback
Date: June 2004
Pages: 688
Book Series: Popular Library of Classical Masterpieces
ISBN: 9787806654026
Language: Chinese
Adaptation: Retelling
Summary:
The journey of the Tang Monk to retrieve Buddhist scriptures is a historical fact. More than 1,300 years ago—specifically in the first year of the Zhenguan reign (627) under Emperor Taizong of Tang—a young monk named Xuanzang, then only twenty-five years old, left the capital of Chang'an to travel alone to Tianzhu (India) for study. Setting out from Chang'an, he traversed Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, overcoming immense hardships and perils before finally reaching India. He studied there for over two years and won acclaim as a keynote speaker at a major Buddhist doctrinal debate. Xuanzang returned to Chang'an in the nineteenth year of the Zhenguan reign (645), bringing back 657 Buddhist scriptures. Spanning nineteen years and covering tens of thousands of li, this legendary expedition to the West caused a sensation at the time. Later, Xuanzang recounted his experiences, which were compiled by his disciple Bianji into the twelve-volume Great Tang Records on the Western Regions (Da Tang Xiyu Ji). However, that book focused primarily on the history, geography, and transportation of the various lands he visited, containing little in the way of narrative storytelling. It was not until his disciples Huili and Yanzong wrote The Biography of the Tripitaka Master of the Great Ci'en Monastery of the Great Tang that a mythical quality was infused into Xuanzang's experiences; from then on, the story of the Tang Monk's quest began to circulate widely among the populace. Works such as the Southern Song dynasty's Story-telling of the Tripitaka Master of the Great Tang Fetching Scriptures, Jin dynasty yuanben plays like Tang Sanzang and The Flat Peach Banquet, and Yuan zaju dramas—such as Wu Changling's Tang Sanzang Fetches Scriptures from the Western Heaven and the anonymous Erlang Shen Chains the Great Sage—laid the foundation for the creation of Journey to the West. It was upon this basis of folklore, storytelling scripts, and theatrical works that Wu Cheng'en—through painstaking creative effort—completed this great literary masterpiece, a source of pride for the Chinese nation. Wu Cheng'en, whose courtesy name was Ruzhong and who styled himself the "Hermit of Sheyang Mountain" (Sheyang Shanren), was a native of Shanyang in Huai'an Prefecture (present-day Huai'an City, Jiangsu Province). He was born sometime between the 13th year of the Hongzhi reign and the beginning of the Zhengde reign (1500–1510) and died around the 10th year of the Wanli reign (1582). Both his great-grandfather and grandfather were scholars who served as instructors at the county school. However, by the time of his father, Wu Rui, the family had fallen into poverty; Wu Rui married into the Xu family—becoming a resident son-in-law—and took over the Xu family's business, working as a small-scale merchant. Despite this, the Wu family did not abandon its scholarly traditions. Although a merchant, his father Wu Rui was a man of integrity who loved reading and discussing current affairs—influences that naturally had a significant impact on Wu Cheng'en. Wu Cheng'en was intelligent from childhood; he began his schooling early and achieved local renown while still a youth. The Huai'an Prefecture Gazetteer (Tianqi edition, Volume 16) describes him as having a "quick and brilliant mind" and being "well-versed in a vast array of books," noting that he could compose poetry and prose with effortless speed.
