Category Popular Media

A Possible Origin for the Term “Handsome Monkey King”

Jim R. McClanahan 2 Comments

I normally don’t post tone marks for Chinese words, but I will include them here since they are important to the subject of this article.

Měihóu wáng (美猴王), or the “Handsome Monkey King,” is one of Sūn Wùkōng‘s many names and titles. I recently saw an online post where someone proposed their own folk analysis for the character měi (美, “beautiful/handsome”), suggesting that the two prongs on top reference Monkey’s iconic feathered cap. But others quickly pointed out that this was historically not the case. This reminded me of my theory on the origins of the term Měihóu wáng.

(Left) The character měi (美, “beautiful/handsome”) (larger version). Take note of the two prongs on top. Image found here. (Right) Èrláng vs Sūn Wùkōng (larger version). Take note of Monkey’s feathered cap. Image of a production still from the 1986 TV Series.

I have suggested in an update to a past article that the title is a play on Míhóu wáng (獼猴王, “Macaque/Monkey King”), míhóu being a common term for monkeys for centuries. [1] This is because the 13th-century version of Journey to the West (Xīyóu jì, 西遊記, 1592) calls Sūn Wùkōng‘s antecedent Míhóu wáng. [2] Even a 3rd-century Chinese version of an Indian jataka tale where the Buddha is a monkey king calls him Míhóu wáng. But most importantly, the Middle Chinese pronunciation of měi (美) sounds more like “mǐ” (mijX), as do the pronunciations of many ethnic groups and even neighboring countries. This might suggest that the pre-modern usage was adopted by these people and places in the past. Therefore, Míhóu wáng and Měihóu wáng may have sounded similar at some point in history:

Modern Chinese → Middle Chinese

獼猴王 (Míhóu wáng) → Míhóu wáng (mjie-huw hjwang) [3]

美猴王 (Měihóu wáng) → Mǐhóu wáng (mijX huw hjwang) [4] 

Ethnic and foreign pronunciations of měi (美)

If true, this would mean that the common link between Sūn Wùkōng‘s title and his ego is a later interpretation.

I must point out, however, that I am NOT a language expert. This is just something that dawned on me one day. I would like feedback from more knowledgeable readers. Please write me via the “contact” button on the menu, or leave a comment below.

The Handsome Monkey King is waited on by his children (larger version). Image from the Japanese children’s book Son Goku (孫悟空,1939).

Notes:

1) Míhóu is one of various transcriptions for a word of non-Chinese origin used in ancient China to mean “monkey”:

The fact that mu occurs in four variants: 母 and 沐 in Chou literature, and mi 米 or 獼 during the Han dynasty and later, proves that this binom is a phonetic rendering of a non-Chinese term (Van Gulik, 1967, p. 35).

2) The full title is the “Bronze-Headed, Iron-Browed King of the Eighty-Four Thousand Monkeys of the Purple Cloud Grotto on the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit” (Huāguǒ shān Zǐyún dòng bāwàn sìqiān tóngtóu tiě’é Míhóu wáng, 花果山紫雲洞八萬四千銅頭鐵額獼猴王) (Wivell, 1994, p. 1182).

3) See Kroll et al. (2015, pp. 162, 302, and 469).

4) See Kroll et al. (2015, pp. 162, 299, and 469).

Source:

Kroll, P. W., Baxter, W., Boltz, W. G., Knechtges, D. R., Lien, Y. E., Richter, A., Richter, M. L., Warner, D. X. (2015). A Student’s Dictionary of Classical and Medieval Chinese. Belgium: Brill.

Van Gulik, R. H. (1967). The Gibbon in China: An Essay in Chinese Animal Lore. Leiden: E.J. Brill.

Wivell, C.S. (1994). The Story of How the Monk Tripitaka of the Great Country of T’ang Brought Back the Sūtras. In V. Mair (Ed.), The Columbia Anthology of Traditional Chinese Literature (pp. 1181-1207). New York: Columbia University Press.

Sun Wukong Dough Figurines from Quanzhou, Fujian, China

Jim R. McClanahan Leave a comment

Last updated: 10-12-2024

My blog currently hosts several articles related to Fujian Province, China, including Sun Wukong’s cult, some of his mainland temples, a 13th-century pagoda relief carving, and a rare Yuan-Ming Journey to the West (Xiyouji, 西遊記) puppet play entitled Tripitaka Seeks the Scriptures (Sanzang Qujing, 三藏取經). Here, I would like to add to the list by shining a spotlight on the traditional “decorated dough figurines” (zhuanggao ren, 粧糕人) of Maan Uiling (Wan Weilong, 萬偉龍; Insta: @maanuiling) from Quanzhou City.

This article will serve as a very basic introduction to dough figurines. The artform of food-based dolls has many names across Asia, including niemian ren or liat bin/bian jin/lin (捏面/麵人) and niesu or liat sok/so (捏塑) in Chinese and Hokkien-speaking countries, amezaiku (飴細工) in Japan, and to he in Vietnam.

I will update this piece when new information becomes available.

1. Uiling’s Work

I first learned about Uiling’s art from a Facebook post (video 1). It features Sun Wukong in whimsical, brightly-colored scenes of combat and worship.

Video 1 – A video of Great Sage dough figurines.

1.1. Brief Interview

Uiling was kind enough to answer some questions:

1. I would really like to learn more about the history and uses of decorated dough figurines. Are they related to religion?

The figurines are only available during the Yulanpen [i.e. Hungry Ghost] Festival in the seventh month of the lunar calendar. They are used to ward off evil spirits. In my seaside hometown of Quanzhou, Fujian, adults buy them for children to play with in order to drive away evil spirits.

[…]

The most popular figure purchased by everyone during the seventh lunar month is Sun Wukong, and there’s also Nezha, Three-Eyed Yang Jian [i.e. Erlang, 二郎], the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King [i.e. Li Jing, 李靖], Mother Guanyin, Lord Guan, Tripitaka riding the white horse, Mu Guiying, He Xiangu, and Iron Crutch Li bearing a hu-gourd.

你好，粧糕人是农历七月盂兰盆节才有的东西。用来镇邪。我的家乡在海边福建泉州，大人买来给小孩子拿在手上玩，驱逐鬼恶。

[…]

七月的时候大家买的比较多的是孙悟空，还有哪吒、三目杨戬、托塔天王、观音妈、关公、三藏骑白马、穆桂英、何仙姑、铁拐李有一粒葫芦。

(The demonifugic properties of the figurines no doubt explain why Sun Wukong is a popular subject of dough figurine makers. He is after all the demon queller par excellence.)

2. Can you tell me how you started making decorated dough figurines? Is this a family tradition? And can you walk me through the process? What materials do you use, and how long does it take to make the figurines?

The materials are wheat flour, glutinous rice flour, salt, honey, etc. It takes five hours to make one. I have enjoyed this since I was a child and have learned from people everywhere. I want to produce items that suit how I feel in my soul. I have written a book titled Quanzhou Clay Toys.

材料是面粉糯米粉盐蜂蜜等。制作目前是五个小时。我从小就喜欢这个，到处跟人学。我想做出适合我灵魂的感觉。我有写一本书《泉州土怂玩具》。

Those wishing to purchase his creations should download the REDnote (小红书) app. Then, search “泉郡粧糕宫.” If this doesn’t work, you can reach out to the artist on Facebook. Again, search “泉郡粧糕宫.”

1.2. Style Influences

Uiling’s version of Sun Wukong features long hair, something that may seem unique to the laymen (fig. 1).

Fig. 1 – Uiling’s version of the Monkey King (larger version). Screenshot from this Instagram video.

But this can be tied to his depiction in Fujian glove puppetry (fig. 1) and folk religion (fig. 2).

Fig. 1 (left) – A (porcelain or wood) Quanzhou glove puppet Monkey King head (larger version). Photo found here. Fig. 2 (right) – A Fujian Great Sage statue in my personal collection (larger version).

And these in turn are modeled on long-haired military monks (wuseng, 武僧) from Chinese opera (fig. 3).

Fig. 2 – A detail of the literary hero and military monk Wu Song from a Chinese opera about his adventures (larger version). Full version available on Wikimedia Commons.

2. Folk History

Several online articles link dough figurines to the origins of mantou pastries. Thankfully, I was able to find a dynastic source mentioning the legend. [1] The Song-era Records on the Origins of Things and Affairs (Shiwu jiyuan, 事物紀原, c. 11th-century) contains an entry reading:

Steamed Buns [Mantou, 饅頭]

The novel says: In the past, when Martial Marquis Zhuge [Zhuge wuhou, 諸葛武侯; i.e. Zhuge Liang, 諸葛亮] was leading an expedition to capture Meng [孟; i.e. Meng Hou, 孟获], people said that the land of the Man-barbarians [蠻] was permeated with sorcery. So, he had to pray to the gods in order to procure spirit-soldiers to help him. But the local custom involved killing sacrificial victims before the gods would send troops. However, the Martial Marquis refused, choosing instead to wrap mutton and pork in rice dough and shape them like human heads [rentou, 人頭]. After this “sacrifice,” the gods sent the soldiers.

From then on, later generations called these “steamed buns” [mantou, 饅頭; i.e. a homonym of “Man-barbarian heads”]. In Lu Di’s (Miscellaneous) Methods of Sacrifice [(Za) Ji fa, (雜)祭法] of the Jin Dynasty, steamed buns were used during the spring sacrifice as items offered to the gods. And Xu Shi’s “Rhapsody on Pasta” [Bing fu, 餅賦] also mentions this, so it’s suspected that steamed buns originated from the Martial Marquis.

饅頭

小說雲：昔諸葛武侯之徵孟獲也，人曰：蠻地多邪術，須禱於神，假陰兵一以助之。然蠻俗必殺人，以其首祭之，神則向之，為出兵也。武侯不從，因雜用羊豕之肉以包之，以面像人頭以祠，神亦向焉，而為出兵。後人由此為饅頭。至晉盧諦《祭法》春祠用饅頭，始列於祭祀之品，而束晢《餅賦》亦有其說，則饅頭疑自武侯始也。

It’s easy to see how this story was associated with our subject. Both the steamed buns and and figurines are humanoid representations that are shaped from rice dough. And both serve a religious function.

I hope to write more about this fascinating artform in the future.

Update: 10-12-24

Dr. Robin Ruizendaal, a noted scholar of traditional Chinese puppetry, recently posted a colorized photo of a dough figurine maker from the mid-20th century (fig. 3). His original description reads:

1940年代四川成都龍泉驛區賣捏麵人演偶戲
Dough puppet maker and vendor brings his merchandise to life on a small stage in Chengdu, Sichuan province (1940s).

The maker appears to be using his figurines as puppets to entertain/entice the young lads to buy some of his wares.

Fig. 3 – The dough maker and crowd (larger version).

Notes:

1) I learned about said source from Ma (2019, p. 981). However, I am not following their translation of the passage because it is different from the version I have.

Source:

Ma, B. (2019). History Of Medicine In Chinese Culture (Vols. 1-2). Singapore: World Scientific Publishing.

Story Idea: Firearms and the Journey to the West Universe

Jim R. McClanahan 4 Comments

From time to time I like to post a fun blog not directly related to (though sometimes informed by) my research. Regular articles will resume after this entry.

Last updated: 12-03-2024

I am currently reading Gunpowder Technology in the Fifteenth Century: A Study, Edition and Translation of the Firework Book (2024), and this got me thinking: what would the Journey to the West (Xiyouji, 西遊記, 1592) cosmos be like if there were guns? In this photo essay, I will briefly explore guns in Chinese folk religion, types of historical (mainly handheld) firearms used in ancient China, and, finally, ways that such weapons could be inserted into the narrative.

I. Folk Religion

I first set out to see if firearms play any part in Chinese folk religion. I found a few examples from Taiwan. The first is “Lord Red Flag” (Hongqi gong, 紅旗公; a.k.a. “Marshal of Sacred Righteousness,” Shengyi yuanshuai, 聖義元帥), a relatively recent martial god. He and his marshals are depicted holding rifles.

(Click on the pictures to enlarge them.)

Here’s a version without the cloak.

Even his tangki (spirit-medium) gets a chance to fire off some rounds.

Three more involve Prince Nezha. The first of two (from the same temple) is a traditional statue adorned with an M4 assault rifle and other modern weaponry.

Here’s a closeup of the rifle. Also, take note of the holstered revolver (i.e. the black pouch) on his waist.

The profile view shows clips on his belt (again, in black pouches), as well as a grenade on top of an ammo case at his feet.

The second is a three-headed and eight-armed Nezha with an anti-tank rocket launcher, a rocket round, and a grenade at his feet.

A third statue (my personal favorite) portrays the prince with an MP 40 submachine gun and modern military gear. The carving on the water is amazing. I first learned of it here.

I learned here and here that cannons are sometimes worshiped in East and Southeast Asia as fertility gods. (See the 09-29-24 update below for more info about cannons.)

I also learned that ritual guns sometimes appear in Chinese folk temples of Vietnam.

If present, the guns number among ritual weapons that are commonly found in martial god temples of Chinese folk religion. (But I’ve never personally seen a gun among said armaments in Taiwanese temples.) This Vietnamese article briefly mentions that the weapons are based on the eighteen arms of Chinese martial arts. And it’s interesting to note that a “hand canon” (chong, 銃) does appear among the eighteen arms listed in the Water Margin (Shuihu zhuan, 水滸傳, c. 1400):

Shi Jin daily sought Drill Instructor Wang’s tutelage in the eighteen (weapons of) martial arts. He taught him from the very beginning. Which eighteen martial arts?

Lance, hammer, bow, crossbow, hand cannon, whip, metal tablet, long sword, chain, truncheon, fu-axe, yue-axe, ge-halberd, ji-halberd, shield, staff and spear, and toothless rake. [1]

史進每日求王教頭點撥十八般武藝，一一從頭指教。 那十八般武藝？

矛錘弓弩銃，鞭簡(鐧)劍鏈撾，斧鉞並戈戟，牌棒與槍杈。

Perhaps this list influenced the ritual weapons in Vietnam.

II. Historical Firearms in Ancient China

Here is an example of a Yuan-era hand canon, minus the shaft.

Here is a “Three-Eyed Hand Canon” (Sanyan chong, 三眼銃), a three-barreled stick gun used during the Ming Dynasty.

You can see that they were attached to bladed polearms, which could be used offensively or defensively between reloading.

There were even five-barreled and shielded firearms called “Rapid-Thunder Hand Cannons” (Xunlei chong, 迅雷銃). So cool!

Here’s a Chinese video demonstrating the one and three-barreled versions:

III. Story Idea

This brings me back to Journey to the West. How could firearms be inserted into a religious allegory? Well, for starters, a 950 CE wall mural in Dunhuang shows one of Mara‘s demons attacking the awakening Buddha with a “fire lance” (huoqiang, 火槍; upper right), a precursor of hand cannons. This is a clear example of a centuries-old association between firearms and spiritual warfare.

Here’s the full mural.

Now imagine that these weapons are wielded by celestial gunner-soldiers under the command of the “Star of Fiery Virtue” (Huode xingjun, 火德星君), the god of fire. In JTTW chapter 51, his literary troops utilize fire scimitars, fire bows, fire arrows, fire crows, fire horses, red (fire) rats, fire dragons, fire carts, fire gourds, fire banners, and fire rods in battle (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 3, p. 9). These are just a short step from firearms.

Given that the novel projects Ming-era concepts backwards to the Tang Dynasty, having gods wield such weapons hundreds of years before they were even invented wouldn’t be out of place in the JTTW universe. A writer could just say that the weapons were created in the realm above and eventually trickled down to mankind. Admittedly, I like the real history better because it shows the ingenuity of our predecessors, but the story requires a little tinkering.

Writers wanting to expand on the idea of firearms in heaven could take Ming gunners, their uniforms, and their strategies as models to work from. This page features a lovely figurine of such soldiers, including lots of juicy historical info. And the fact that the historical troops were part of the “Divine Machine Battalion” (Shenji ying, 神機營), which specialized in firearms, really solidifies their connection to the heavenly realm.

Who would make such weapons? There’s a fun answer for that: Laozi! The novel twice describes him forging mystical weapons belonging to our main characters. For example, Zhu Bajie mentions in chapter 19 that the high god made his rake: “This is divine ice steel greatly refined, / Polished so highly that it glows and shines. / Laozi wielded the large hammer and tong …” (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 382). And Monkey claims in chapter 75 that the Daoist Patriarch created his staff: “The rod of steel nine cyclic times refined / Was forged in the stove by Laozi himself” (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 3, p. 375). So, on top of making alchemical medicines, Laozi could be heaven’s celestial gunsmith.

How could demons get ahold of celestial guns? Well, referring back to chapter 51, a buffalo-spirit uses the “diamond cutter” (jingang zhuo, 金鋼琢), an uber powerful, bracelet-like treasure-weapon also created by Laozi, to twice suck away all of the aforementioned fire weapons (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 3, pp. 9 and 23). Devil craftsmen would then have time to analyze the heavenly technology, which would allow them to eventually make their own (inferior?) copies.

Recall that the Great Peng demon is said in chapter 74 to have taken over a human kingdom by eating all of the inhabitants some 500 years ago, and the former population was replaced by spirits (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 3, p. 360). Firearms would definitely make a human-to-monster kingdom transition for less powerful demon kings a lot easier.

Another possibility is that a fiend could simply sneak into heaven to steal some. This may seem like an impossible task, but JTTW chapter 63 mentions something similar happening. The dragon-spirit “Princess All Saints” (Wansheng gongzhu, 萬聖宮(公)主) is said to have “[snuck] into heaven and stole[n] from before the Hall of Divine Mists the nine-leaf divine agaric planted by the Lady Queen Mother of the West” (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 3, p. 192). So, if someone can secretly infiltrate the realm above and steal divine vegetation, they could certainly steal heavenly armaments.

Perhaps the simplest way that demons could attain celestial firearms is by ambushing heavenly troops and commandeering their equipment.

I could see Red Boy (Honghai’er, 紅孩兒) using his powerful Samadhi flame to forge his own hand cannons, at least with the help of devil craftsmen. His association with fire only makes it natural that his own troops would carry firearms.

The only thing I can’t think of is how heavenly hand cannons would differ from their real world counterparts. Would they just use gunpowder and metal shot, or would it be more magical in nature, like shooting meteors? I’m open to suggestions from readers.

Update: 09-29-2024

The film Enoken no Songoku: Zenpen (エノケンの孫悟空 前編; a.k.a. “Enoken’s Songoku,” 1940) features the Monkey King mowing down demons with his staff-turned-machine gun.

There are at least two toys depicting the Great Sage with a gun. The first I learned about via a Facebook group post. I love how his sniper rifle is modeled on his magic staff. You can see the original packaging here.

And here is a Black Myth: Wukong-inspired figure with a powerful-looking rifle/shot gun combo. I saw it here.

Regarding cannons, I learned that a giant Western cannon was worshiped by court officials during the Ming. The History of the Ming (Mingshi, 明史, 1739) explains:

At this time, a ship arriving from the Great Western Ocean [i.e. the West] brought an enormous cannon, which got the name of the “Red Barbarian” [Hongyi, 紅夷]. It measured over two-zhang [20.86 ft/6.358 m] long, and weighed as much as 3,000 catties [3,902.18 lbs/1,770 kg]. It could demolish any stone city-walls, and its earthquake-like roar could be heard for several dozen li around. During the Tianqi [天啟] reign, the name of “Great General” [Da jiangjun, 大將軍] was given to it, and officials were sent to offer libations [si, 祀] to it (based on Needham, 1986, p. 392).

其後，大西洋船至，復得巨砲，曰紅夷。長二丈馀，重者至三千斤，能洞裂石城，震數十里。天啟中，錫以大將軍號，遣官祀之。

Needham (1986) suggests the cannon’s worship is connected to folk beliefs: “In Taoist folk-religion any device or machine of almost miraculous potency was something which should receive veneration” (p. 392 n. b).

Update: 10-05-24

I forgot to mention the “Gatling Gun Bodhisattva” (Jia-te-lin pusa, 加特林菩薩) from Chinese social media and Japanese manga. The following clip expounds the Heart Sutra of the Honored Gatling Gun Bodhisattva (Namo Jia-te-lin pusa Xinjing, 南無加特林菩薩心經).

Update: 11-23-24

Reader Danna Zhang left a wonderful comment about how Investiture of the Gods (Fengshen yanyi, 封神演義, c. 1620 CE), a sort of prequel to Journey to the West, also includes gunpowder weaponry:

Late comment, but FSYY also puts Ming dynasty gunpowder weapons into the 11th BCE Shang dynasty setting. Apart from the numerous mentions of “cannons go boom”, In Chapter 56, they broke Deng Jiugong’s ambush-disguised-as-wedding by hiding a cannon in the gift casket and using it to make a surprise attack, and in Chapter 88, Jiang Ziya suggests to King Wu that they need the “Sky-blasting Cannon” (轰天大炮) to breach the walls of Mianchi City.

At this point, I think the bronze age gunpowder weapon isn’t a bug, it'[s] a feature.

Update: 12-03-24

The Japanese Scroll of Battle Between Generations (異代同戱図巻, 17th-century) includes a depiction of Guanyin aiming a flintlock rifle, with the Dragon Girl waiting in attendance behind her.

Note:

1) The narration is based on my translation, while the weapons list is based on that from Lorge (2012). See page 147.

Source:

Lorge, P. A. (2012). Chinese Martial Arts: From Antiquity to the Twenty-First Century. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.

Needham, J. (1986). Science and Civilization in China. Volume 5: Chemistry and Chemical Technology; part 7, Military Technology: The Gunpowder Epic. Assisted by Ho Ping-yü et al. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Wu, C., & Yu, A. C. (2012). The Journey to the West (Vols. 1-4) (Rev. ed.). Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press.

 

Journey to the West Artist Spotlight #3: NingadudeXx

Jim R. McClanahan Leave a comment

From time to time I like to post a fun blog not directly related to (though sometimes informed by) my research. Regular articles will resume after this entry.

Anyone who has read my blog will no doubt realize that I am an avid fan of researching the history and influences of Journey to the West (Xiyouji, 西遊記, 1592). But as an artist, I am also a fan of JTTW-related artwork. There are so many talented people in the world who post their original designs and comics online, so I’ve decided to feature some of them on my blog. My hope is that such posts will expose this art to a wider audience interested in JTTW, while also documenting modern day perceptions and depictions of the novel and its characters.

Our third artist goes by the username NingadudeXx on Tumblr and Ningadudexx390 on YouTube. They were kind enough to answer some interview questions, as well as allow permission to display a few of their pieces.

The previous artist spotlight entries can be seen here and here.

I. Q & A

1) Can you tell me a little about yourself?

Hello, I go by DSG! I currently have an art blog called NingadudeXx on Tumblr that I use as a personal portfolio for my artwork. I also have a YouTube channel under the same name, where I post my animations and animatics! My username originates from when I was very young playing Minecraft and didn’t know how to spell, so I ended up with a wonky spelling of my current username. I’ve been using this username out of habit over the past decade and found that my misspelling helps people separate my username from the other dozen Ninja Dude’s out there!

2) Are you self-taught or did you go to art school?

I graduated from a high school that had an arts program, which specialized in animation, film, sound-design, and gaming. Funnily enough, my animation teacher wasn’t much of an artist himself, but the assignments he gave us over the years helped me to improve my skills! Aside from that, I would say that I am mostly a self-taught artist who’s been drawing since I could hold a pencil. Currently, I go to college and I’m working towards getting a degree in the arts, more specifically animation. I work at my school as a digital media tutor, where I help students with graphic design projects involving Adobe programs.

3) What are your main sources of artistic inspiration?

Some big inspirations of mine are Bill Watterson, Charles Schultz, and Craig McCracken. My dad introduced me to comic books when I was young, so I began reading Calvin and Hobbes and Peanuts books at a young age. I also grew up watching Cartoon Network shows, more specifically all of Craig McCracken’s cartoons. Growing up with the early style of 2000s/2010s cartoons has significantly influenced my style over the years. My biggest animation inspiration would have to be Flying Bark Studios, who have created beautiful cartoons such as Lego Monkie Kid and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!

4) How did you learn about Journey to the West?

I learned about Journey to the West over 3 years ago now from watching Lego Monkie Kid! I’ve been captivated by the show and Journey to the West since. I love to research and watch any new media I can find that’s inspired by the novel!

5) Who is your favorite character?

My favorite character is Sun Wukong, who I find endlessly fascinating to draw and think about. I think he’s an incredible character that goes through many changes throughout his lifetime, as he ultimately becomes a better person despite the odds against him!

6) Do you have a favorite episode from the novel?

That’s a tough question. I really love everything about the novel! But if I had to choose a favorite section in general, I would have to say the beginning chapters of the novel, where we get to see how Wukong earns his various titles and gains all his abilities. Sun Wukong’s beginnings are an important aspect of his character, especially when compared to how he changes and grows during his journey to the west.

7) Does the novel have a special meaning to you?

This novel is a huge source of inspiration and strength for me. When times are tough, I often try to put myself in the mindset of my favorite characters and think about how they’d react/confront the problem at hand. While I didn’t grow up with the story when I was younger, I’m grateful to be reading and learning about this wonderful novel now!

8) Can you tell me about your ongoing JTTW-related projects?

I hope to make JTTW comics in the future depicting my favorite chapters and scenes from the novel! Until then, I’m always drawing Monkey King whenever I get a sliver of free time, which I usually post on my Tumblr or YouTube page.

II. Art and Thought Process

Note: Click each image to enlarge it.

1. For this piece, I wanted to draw Sun Wukong enjoying himself surrounded by his favorite stone fruits! Some of my favorite types of backgrounds to draw are the ones that involve twisty trees and grassy fields.

2. In this work, I wanted to capture the scene where Wukong breaks out of the Trigram Furnace after 49 long days and goes on a rampage in Heaven. I like to use strong shapes to emphasize emotion, so I made Wukong’s hair sharp and spiky to show his anger.

3. In this piece, I took clothing inspiration from the amazing painting The Great Sage Equaling Heaven by the talented Yang Ruifen. I try my best to include a lot of star/sun motifs in my Sun Wukong artwork, whether it be through the shape of his hair or by putting stars in his eyes. Or in this case, by putting a literal sun behind him!

4. A lot of my artwork is based on spur of the moment ideas, or is inspired by small things that happen in my life! In this case, I happened to eat some colorful and sweet gummies, which inspired the ‘gummy’ monkeys in this piece. It’s fun to find inspiration in small things that are otherwise considered mundane. Wukong is a very reactive and intense character, so I like to think that he has a lot on his mind. This piece was my way of showing that!

5. These two pieces I included together as a diptych! I was studying the attire and textures of the Beijing Opera Monkey King, and the 1996 Journey to the West version of Sun Wukong. I love contrasting warm oranges and yellows against a nice sky-blue color. I ended up entering this diptych into an arts competition at my college and won the illustration category!

6. For this animation, I focused more specifically on Monkie Kid’s version of Sun Wukong, mixed with my own idea of his character! I wanted to capture the feeling that Wukong is a very old being who has inspired many generations, having been in novels, cartoons, films, operas, etc. I wonder if the older Wukong gets, the more his identity gets muddled with other people’s perception of him? Maybe he feels like he must put on a mask of sorts around those who don’t know him personally.