Information on Journey to the West
Journey to the West was one of the Four Great Classics of Chinese Literature. The author was Wu Chengen, a novelist of the Ming Dynasty. The novel tells the story of Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, Monk Sand, and Tang Sanzang (or the "Journey to the West") who went to India to retrieve Buddhist scriptures. The main plot of the novel took place in the Tang Dynasty. It described the various difficulties and dangers that Sun Wukong and others encountered on the way to obtain scriptures, as well as their struggles with various demons and immortals. In the end, the Buddhist scriptures were successfully retrieved and returned to China. Journey to the West is regarded as a classic in the history of Chinese literature. It not only has profound thoughts, but also has rich imagination and artistry. It was widely praised, adapted, and influenced to become an important part of Chinese culture.