“Nothing in this world is difficult but thinking makes it seem so. Where there is true will, there is always a way.”
Journey to the West is one of the most popular classical novels of Chinese literature, as well as a truly thrilling quest. Written by Wu Tch’eng-en in the 16th century, this tale is based on the historical events about the pilgrimage of the Tang dynasty Buddhist monk Xuanzang who lived in Chang’An, the ancient city of nowadays Xi’an. According to history, the Chinese monk Xuanzang defied the emperor’s ban on travel. He trekked along the legendary Silk Road by crossing the provinces of Gansu and Xinjiang in China, as well as today’s Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan to reach India in 630. His quest was to retrieve Buddhist scriptures in India. But during his almost 20 yearlong journey, he also visited many important Buddhist sites on his way to and from India.
However, in Wu Tch’eng-en’s novel, the monk who is called Tang Sanzang is not the most important character. In fact, without his trusted companions, the Chinese monk probably wouldn’t have made it to India and back. One of his best disciples is the clever Monkey King. With his exceptional powers, he faces fantastic foes, demons and monsters, and never refuses mischief or rule-breaking when he spots an opportunity.
Mei told me about the Journey to the West many years ago. It was adapted as a TV show in the 1980s, and she used to watch it with her grandmother when she was a kid. But before watching any of the media adaptations, I decided to read the book first as soon as we returned from our trip along the Ancient Silk Road in August of 2019.
Since it is a myth written four centuries ago, I couldn’t quite locate all the places mentioned in this novel. But the dangerous trek that Wu Tch’eng-en described provides a keen understanding of Chinese mythology, folk religions, bureaucracy and value systems of his time. And as any true adventure story, it also contains inspiring messages for any world traveler: every journey we take is a journey to enlightenment.
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10 Responses
Carol Colborn
I have not been reading a lot since writing took over my life. But I am envious of those like you who are able to find the perfect book to recap a great adventure. And that your partner is able to inspire you about such unique trips and books.
Mei and Kerstin
Writing is also a big part of our life, but to write well, one needs to read well. 😉
Candy
This book sounded so familiar to me and then when I saw the image at the end of the post, it looked very similar to a fairytale in Japan called Momotaro. I’m not sure if the tales are identical, but the a boy travels a monkey and other animal friends. Have you heard of Momotaro?
Mei and Kerstin
No, we’ve never heard of Momotaro. It seems like both stories are not related, as the Journey to the West is based on a true story: the Buddhist monk really traveled to India and returned to China with Buddhist scripts.
Snazzytrips
Journey to the West sounds like an intriguing book to read during my time at home. The Monkey King must be an interesting character. I enjoy stories of other cultures and this is one I might have to put on my reading list. Thank you for the suggestion.
Mei and Kerstin
You’re welcome! We hope you’ll like the Journey to the West.
Jamie Italiane
I love reading books that bring places to life. I know that you travelled the Silk Road. This is the perfect book for that occasion.
Mei and Kerstin
Yes, it is indeed the perfect book to read before or after traveling the Silk Road in China! But Colin Thubron’s Shadow of the Silk Road is a also a good one! 😉
Eric Gamble
WHoa, you just updated my Adventure Travel Book Bucket List item! I am adding the Journey to the West to the list for sure. It is always amazing how many books are on my list that come from Europe but rarely do we in America hear or know of the great literature from China cept for maybe The Art of War or the Art of Happiness or The Zen & Art of Archery! So this is an awesome find! Thank you!
Mei and Kerstin
You’re welcome Eric! It’s true that Chinese literature is not very well known in America. When we were in the US, we didn’t see a lot, except for novels written by Chinese-American authors.