The Journey to the West by Cheng'en Wu
The story revolves around the Monkey King and his three disciples, who embark on a journey to India to retrieve Buddhist scriptures. Along the way, they encounter various obstacles and demons, which they must overcome using their unique skills and teamwork. The novel blends elements of Chinese mythology, folklore, and fantasy, with themes of friendship, perseverance, and spiritual growth.
By Cheng'en Wu · First published 1592 · Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Mythology · 25 chapters · 218,081 words
First lines
The divine root conceives, its source revealed; / Mind and nature nurtured, the Great Dao is born.
The poem says:
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Genres
- Fantasy — The narrative features mythical creatures, magical elements, and a fantastical journey, central to the plot.
- Adventure — The story follows a quest involving travel and exploration, with the protagonist facing various challenges.
- Mythology — The work incorporates elements of Chinese mythology, including deities and legendary figures.
- Philosophical — Themes of existence, morality, and the pursuit of enlightenment are prevalent throughout the text.
Tags
Adventure · Fantasy · Mythology · Chinese Literature · Classics · Quest · Supernatural · Demons · Monkeys · Pilgrimage · Buddhism · Folklore
What this Textopian page supports
The Journey to the West is listed on Textopian as a novel by Cheng'en Wu, dated 1592 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: Cheng'en Wu
- Date: 1592 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, Mythology, Philosophical, Allegory
- Length: 218,081 words
- Structure: 25 chapters, 3,154 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Journey to the West by Cheng'en Wu
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Contents
- The divine root conceives, its source revealed; Mind and nature nurtured, the Great Dao is born
- Fully awoke to Bodhi's wondrous truths; He cuts off Māra, returns to the root, and joins Primal Spirit
- Four Seas and a Thousand Mountains all bow to submit; From Ninefold Darkness ten species' names are removed
- Appointed a BanHorse, could he be content? Named Equal to Heaven, he's still not appeased
- Disrupting the Peach Festival, the Great Sage steals elixir; With revolt in Heaven, many gods would seize the fiend
- Guanyin, attending the banquet, inquires into the cause; The Little Sage, exerting his power, subdues the Great Sage
- From the Eight Trigrams Brazier the Great Sage escapes; Beneath the Five Phases Mountain, Mind Monkey is still
- Our Buddha makes scriptures to impart ultimate bliss; Guanyin receives the decree to go up to Chang'an
- Chen Guangrui, going to his post, meets disaster; Monk River Float, avenging his parents, repays his roots
- The Old Dragon King's foolish schemes transgress Heaven's decrees; Prime Minister Wei's letter seeks help from an official of the dead
- Having toured the Underworld, Taizong returns to life; Having presented melons and fruits, Liu Quan marries again
- The Tang emperor, firmly sincere, convenes a Grand Mass; Guanyin, in epiphany, converts Gold Cicada
- In the den of tigers, the Gold Star brings deliverance; At Double-Fork Ridge, Boqin detains the monk
- Mind Monkey returns to the Right; The Six Robbers vanish from sight
- At Serpent Coil Mountain, the gods give secret protection; At Eagle Grief Stream, the Horse of the Will is reined
- At Guanyin Hall the monks plot for the treasure; At Black Wind Mountain a monster steals the cassock
- Pilgrim Sun greatly disturbs the Black Wind Mountain; Guanshiyin brings to submission the bear monster
- At Guanyin Hall the Tang Monk leaves his ordeal; At Gao Village the Great Sage casts out the monster
- At Cloudy Paths Cave, Wukong takes in Eight Rules; At Pagoda Mountain, Tripitaka receives the Heart Sūtra
- At Yellow Wind Ridge the Tang Monk meets adversity; In mid-mountain, Eight Rules strives to be first
- The Vihārapālas prepare lodging for the Great Sage; Lingji of Sumeru crushes the wind demon
- Eight Rules fights fiercely at the Flowing-Sand River; Moksa by order receives Wujing's submission
- Tripitaka does not forget his origin; The Four Sages test the priestly mind
- At Long Life Mountain the Great Immortal detains his old friend; At Five Villages Abbey, Pilgrim steals the ginseng fruit
- The Zhenyuan Immortal gives chase to catch the scripture monk; Pilgrim Sun greatly disturbs Five Villages Abbey