"Journey to the West" is the pinnacle of Chinese classical novels about gods and demons.
The story revolves around the four masters and disciples of Tang Monk who went to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures. Tang Monk, Master Xuanzang, was ordered by Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty to go to the West to obtain the true scriptures. The eldest disciple, Sun Wukong, was born from the Immortal Stone of Huaguo Mountain. He learned powerful spells from the Bodhi Patriarch. He has seventy-two transformations, somersault clouds and other skills, and holds the Ruyi Golden Cudgel. Wukong is smart, naughty, and rebellious by nature, but he is extremely loyal to Tang Seng.
Zhu Bajie was originally Marshal Tianpeng. He was demoted to the mortal world and reborn as a pig for making mistakes. He is lazy and greedy for women, but he is also honest and cute. His weapon is a nine-tooth rake. Sha Seng was once a curtain-rolling general. He was demoted to the Liusha River because he accidentally broke a glass lamp. He was honest and loyal, and his weapon was the magic staff.
The four masters and disciples set out from the Tang Dynasty in the east and headed west. Encountered countless demons and ghosts on the way, such as the spider spirit in Pansi Cave, the three demons in Shituoling, etc. Relying on Sun Wukong's magical powers, the help of Zhu Bajie and Sha Seng, and the help of various gods, they have gone through ninety-nine and eighty-one difficulties. These disasters tested the will and belief of the four masters and disciples, and also showed the weakness and brilliance of human nature. In the end, they arrived in the West, obtained the scriptures, and all four of them achieved enlightenment. The journey of Tang Monk and his disciples to obtain scriptures reflects many positive meanings such as persistence, bravery, and unity. This work is full of fantasy imagination and has an irreplaceable and important position in the history of Chinese literature.
