Dream of the Red Chamber (红楼梦)
Alternative Names (異名):
紅樓夢, 红楼梦, Hónglóu mèng, Hung Lou Meng, Hong Lou Meng, Dream of the Red Chamber, Dream of Red Mansions, Red Chamber Dreams, 石頭, 石头记, Shítóu jì, The Story of the Stone
A Dream of Red Mansions, commonly The Red Chamber Dreams or Dream of the Red Chamber (Traditional Chinese: 紅樓夢; Simplified Chinese: 红楼梦; pinyin: Hónglóu mèng), also known as The Story of the Stone (Traditional Chinese: 石頭記; Simplified Chinese: 石头记; pinyin: Shítóu jì) is one of the masterpieces of Chinese fiction. It was composed sometime in the middle of the 18th century during the Qing Dynasty. The novel's authorship is attributed to Cáo Xuěqín (Cao Zhan).
The novel is usually grouped with three other pre-modern Chinese works of fiction, collectively known as the Four Great Classical Novels. Of these, Dream of the Red Chamber is often acknowledged to be the zenith of Chinese classical fiction by scholars.
Plot summary
The novel is believed to be semi-autobiographical, mirroring the fortunes of Cao Xueqin's own family. As the author details in the first chapter, it was intended to be a memorial to the women he knew in his youth: friends, relatives and servants. However, the time mark of the story itself is blurred, with characters' costume style shifting between various dynasties, and the reference of home location keeps changing.
The novel itself is a detailed, episodic record of the lives of the extended Jia Clan, made up of two branches, the Ning-guo and Rong-guo Houses, which occupies two large adjacent family compounds in the capital. Their ancestors were made Dukes, and at the novel's start the two houses were still one of the most illustrious families in the capital. Originally extremely wealthy and influential, with a female member made an Imperial Concubine, the Clan eventually fell into disfavour with the Emperor, and had their mansions raided and confiscated. The novel is a charting of the Jias' fall from the height of their prestige (which is described in great naturalistic detail), centering on some 30 main characters and over 400 minor ones.
The story is prefaced with supernatural Taoist and Buddhist overtones. A sentient Stone, abandoned by the Goddess Nüwa when she mended the heavens aeons ago, enters the mortal realm after begging a Taoist priest and Buddhist monk to bring it to see the world.
The main character, Jia Baoyu, is the adolescent heir of the family, apparently the reincarnation of the Stone (the most reliable Jiaxu manuscript however has the Stone and Jia Baoyu as two separate, though related, entities). In that previous life he had a relationship with a flower, who is incarnated now as Baoyu's sickly cousin, the emotional Lin Daiyu. However, he is predestined in this life, despite his love for Daiyu, to marry another cousin, Xue Baochai. This love triangle against the backdrop of the family's declining fortunes forms the most well-known plot line among the others in the novel.
The novel is remarkable not only in its huge cast of characters — over 400 in all, most of whom are female — and its psychological scope, but also in its precise and detailed observations of the life and social structures that are typical in the 18th-century China.
Themes
Fiction or reality?
The name of the main family, "賈" has the same pronunciation in most Northern Chinese dialect including Mandarin as "假", which means false, fake, fictitious, deceitful or sham. Thus Cao Xueqin (曹雪芹) suggests that the novel's family is both a reflection of his own family, and simultaneously fictional - or a "dream"-version of his family that is a mixture of real and fake story telling. (Baoyu(寶玉) occasionally dreams of another Baoyu, whose surname is "甄", which puns on "眞"(real, true).)
Title Meanings and Issues
The novel is normally called Hung Lou Meng or Hong Lou Meng (紅樓夢) - literally "Red Mansion Dream". "Red Mansion" was an idiom for the sheltered chambers where the daughters of wealthy families lived. It can also be understood as referring to a dream that Baoyu has - in a "Red Mansion" - at Chapter 5 of the novel, where the fates of many of the female characters are foreshadowed. "Red" also suggests the Buddhist idea that the whole world is "red dust" (紅塵) - merely illusory and to be shunned. The common title is Dream of the Red Chamber, but actually this is a mistranslation. The Chinese character "樓" literally means the building which has more than one floor.
Language and Characters
The novel, written in Vernacular Chinese and not Classical Chinese, is one of the works that established the legitimacy of the vernacular idiom. Its author is well versed in Classical Chinese – with tracts written in erudite semi-wenyan – and in Chinese poetry. The novel's conversations were written in a vivid Beijing Mandarin dialect which was to become the basis of modern spoken Chinese, with influences from Nanjing Mandarin (where Cao's family lived in the early 1700s).
The novel contains nearly 30 characters which could be considered major, and hundreds of minor ones. Cao centers the novel on Jia Baoyu, the male protagonist, and the female relations around him, at one point intending to call the book The Twelve Beauties of Jinling. Females in this novel take centerstage and are frequently shown to be more capable than their male counterparts. They are also very learned literarily, unlike most Qing maidens of their time.
The Masters and Mistresses
Jia Baoyu (賈寶玉) - the main protagonist. He is the adolescent son of Jia Zheng (賈政) and his wife, Lady Wang (王夫人). Born with a piece of luminescent jade in his mouth, Baoyu is the heir apparent to the fortunes and official honors of the Rongguo line (榮國府). Much to his strict Confucian father's displeasure, however, Baoyu prefers reading novels and other types of casual literature to the philosophical Four Books that were considered staples of a classical Chinese education. Although highly intelligent, Baoyu hates the company of the fawning bureaucrats that frequent his father's house and shuns the company of most men, whom he considers morally and spiritually inferior to women. Sensitive and compassionate, Baoyu famously holds the view that "girls are in essence pure as water, and men are in essence muddled as mud". Handsome and talented, Baoyu nevertheless spends his time and energy attending to the needs of the women in the extended family, lamenting their helpless fate as pawns in the hands of a strict feudal society and harboring many friendships among his female cousins and his sisters, all of whom he deems more gifted and deserving than men. Baoyu's sincere distaste for worldly affairs and his frustrated but insistent love for his cousin Daiyu (黛玉) later caused him to become a Buddhist monk and renounce all worldly ties.
Lin Daiyu (林黛玉) - Jia Baoyu's first cousin and his love interest. She is the daughter of a Yangchow scholar-official, Lin Ruhai (林如海), and Lady Jia Min (賈敏), the sister of Baoyu's father, Minister Jia Zheng (賈政). The novel proper starts in Chapter 3 with Daiyu's arrival at the Rongguo house (榮國府), where Baoyu and his family live, shortly after the death of her mother. Beautiful but emotionally fragile and prone to fits of jealousy, Daiyu is nevertheless an extremely accomplished poet, writer and musician. The novel designates her as one of the "Twelve Beauties of Jinling," describing her as a lonely, proud and ultimately tragic figure. According to the novel, Daiyu is the reincarnation of Crimson Pearl, and the very purpose of her mortal birth is to repay her divine nurturer, reborn as Baoyu, her "debt of tears".
Xue Baochai (薛寶釵) - Jia Baoyu's other first cousin from his mother's side. The only daughter of Aunt Xue(薛姨媽), sister to Baoyu's mother, Baochai is a foil to Daiyu in many ways. While Daiyu is unconventional and hypersensitive, Baochai is sensible, tactful and a favorite of the Jia household, a model Chinese feudal maiden. The author describes her as a beautiful and intelligent girl, but also very reserved. Although reluctant to show the extent of her knowledge, Baochai seems to be quite learned about everything, from Buddhist teachings to how not to make a paint plate crack. Also one of the "Twelve Beauties in Jinling," Baochai has a round face, fair skin and some would say a voluptuous figure, in contrast to Daiyu's willowy daintiness. Baochai carries a golden locket with her; the locket contains words given to her by a Buddhist monk in her childhood, and was meant to bring her closer to her future husband. Baochai's golden locket and Baoyu's jade contain inscriptions that appear to complement one another perfectly; for this reason, their match is seen in the book as predestined.
Jia Yuanchun (賈元春) - Baoyu's elder sister by the same parents and Baoyu's senior by about a decade. Originally one of the ladies-in-waiting in the imperial palace (the daughters of illustrious officials were often selected for such honorary posts), Yuanchun later becomes an Imperial Consort because she impressed the Emperor with her virtue and learning. Her illustrious position as a favorite of the Emperor marked the height of the Jia family's powers before its eventual wane. In spite of her prestigious position, however, Yuanchun appears remarkably unhappy and felt imprisoned within the four walls of the imperial palace, as splendid a cage as it was. The novel portrays her as a lonely, tragic figure who preferred a quiet life at home but who was sent by her parents and her family to help maintain the family fortunes. Toward the end of the novel, Yuanchun's sudden death precipitated the fall of the Jia family; some say Yuanchun died of palace intrigue, the result of political forces moving against the Jia family. She is included in Jinling City's Twelve Beauties.
Jia Tanchun (賈探春) - Baoyu's younger half-sister, by Concubine Zhao, second wife to Jia Zheng. Brash and extremely outspoken, she is described to be almost as capable as Wang Xifeng, once temporarily taking over the family's day-to-day financial affairs when the latter was ill after miscarriage. Wang Xifeng herself compliments her privately, but laments she was "born in the wrong womb" – concubines' offsprings are not treated with as much respect as those by first wives. Tanchun has a nickname of "Rose", which is to describe her beauty and also her sharp, prickly personality. Tanchun eventually was married off to a faraway land. Some versions of the novel say that she was bound in a political marriage to the ruler of a foreign country as a result of a post-war treaty; either way, the original version of the novel described her marriage as ultimately unhappy as she missed her relatives far away. She is also one of Jinling City's Twelve Beauties.
Shi Xiangyun (史湘雲) - Jia Baoyu's second cousin by Grandmother Jia. She is Grandmother Jia's grand-niece. Orphaned since infancy, she grew up under her rather wealthy maternal uncle and aunt who use her unkindly and make her do embroidery and needlework for the family late into the night. In spite of her misfortunes, however, Xiangyun is opened-hearted and cheerful. A comparatively androgynous beauty, Xiangyun looks good in men's clothes, loves to drink and eat meat (considered male traits) and is forthright without tact. But her opened-heartedness and willingness not to bear grudges make some of her casual if truthful remarks easily forgiven by most. She is extremely learned and seemed to be as talented a poet as Daiyu or Baochai. She is also one of Jinling City's Twelve Beauties.
Miaoyu (妙玉) - a young nun from Buddhist cloisters of the Rongguo house. Beautiful, very learned but a little arrogant and disdainful. She is one of the four women who plays a very important role in Jia Baoyu's whole life. (The other three women are Lin Daiyu, Xue Baochai and Shi Xiangyun.) At the end of the novel, she is kidnapped by foriegn robers during the Dowager's funeral. It was her abduction that made Jia Xichun become a nun.
Grandmother Jia (賈母), née Shi - also called the Matriarch or the Dowager. She is the daughter of Marquis Shi of Jinling. Both Baoyu's and Daiyu's grandmother, she is the highest living authority in the Rongguo house (and the oldest and most respected of the entire Clan) and a doting figure. She has two sons, Jia She and Jia Zheng, and a daughter, Min, Daiyu's mother. It is at the insistence of Grandmother Jia that Daiyu is brought to the house of the Jias, and it is with her help that Daiyu and Baoyu form their inseparable bond as childhood playmates and later, kindred spirits.
Jia Yingchun (賈迎春) - Second female in the generation of the Jia household after Yuanchun, Yingchun is the daughter of Jia She, Baoyu's uncle and therefore his eldest female cousin. A kind-hearted, weak-willed, devout Taoist, Yingchun is said to have a "wooden" personality and seems rather apathetic toward all worldly affairs. Although very pretty and well-read, she does not compare in intelligence and wit to any of her cousins. Yingchun's most famous trait, it seems, is her unwillingness to meddle in the affairs of her family; she would rather read a book than command her servants or quarrel with others. Eventually Yingchun marries a new favorite of the imperial court, her marriage merely one her father's desperate attempts to raise the declining fortunes of the Jia family. About 2/3 of the way through the novel, the newly married Yingchun becomes a victim of domestic abuse and constant violence at the hands of her cruel, abusive husband. Yingchun dies within a year of marriage. She is one of Jinling City's Twelve Beauties.
Jia Xichun (賈惜春) - Baoyu's younger second cousin from the Ningguo House, but brought up in the Rongguo Mansion. A gifted painter, she is also a devout Buddhist. She is also the sister of Jia Zhen, head of the Ningguo House. At the end of the novel, after the fall of the house of Jia, she gives up her worldly concerns and becomes a Buddhist nun. She is the second youngest of Jin Ling City's Twelve Beauties, described as a pre-teen in most part of the novel.
Wang Xifeng (王熙鳳), alias Sister Feng (鳳姐) - Baoyu's elder Cousin-in-law, young wife to Jia Lian (who is Baoyu's paternal first cousin), niece to Lady Wang. Xifeng is related to Baoyu both by blood and marriage. An extremely handsome woman, Xifeng is capable, clever, amusing and at times, vicious and cruel. Undeniably the most worldly of the women in the novel, Xifeng is in charge of the daily running of the Rongguo household and wields remarkable economic as well as political power within the family. Being a favorite niece of Lady Wang, Xifeng keeps both Lady Wang and Grandmother Jia entertained with her constant jokes and amusing chatter, plays the role of the perfect filial daughter-in-law, and by pleasing Grandmother Jia, rules the entire household with an iron fist. One of the most remarkable multi-faceted personalities in the novel, Xifeng can be kind-hearted toward the poor and helpless--her charitable contributions to the family of Granny Liu remains gratefully acknowledged by the latter, and she seems to feel genuine affection for Baoyu and his sisters. On the other hand, however, Xifeng can be cruel enough to kill; she affects her husband's concubine to such a degree that the young woman commits suicide, orders the death of a man just to prevent him from revealing her secret machinations, and causes the death of a man who fell in love with her by torturing his mind and body. Her feisty personality, her loud laugh and her great beauty formed refreshing contrasts to the many frail, weak-willed beauties that plagued the literature of 18th-century China. Xifeng's name translates to "the Phoenix" - a mythical bird of authority. She is also one of Jinling City's Twelve Beauties.
Jia Zheng (賈政) - Baoyu's father, a stern disciplinarian and Confucian scholar. Afraid his one surviving son would turn bad, he imposed strict rules and occasional corporal punishment for his son. He has a wife, Lady Wang, and two concubines.
Lady Wang (王夫人) - Baoyu's mother, a Buddhist, primary wife of Jia Zheng. Because of her purported ill-health, she hands over the running of the household to her niece, Xifeng, as soon as the latter marries into the Jia household, although she retains overall control over Xifeng's affairs so that the latter always has to report to her regarding important financial and family affairs. Although Lady Wang appears to be a kind mistress and a doting mother, she can be in fact cruel and ruthless when her authority is challenged.
Jia Qiaojie (賈巧姐) - Wang Xifeng's and Jia Lian's daughter. The youngest of the Twelve Beauties of Jin Ling, she was a child through much of the novel. After the fall of the house of Jia, she married the son of Granny Liu's landowner neighbour and lead an uneventful life in the countryside.
Li Wan (李紈) - Baoyu's elder sister-in-law, widow of Baoyu's deceased elder brother, Zhu. Her primary task is to bring up her son Lan and watch over her female cousins. The novel portrays Li Wan, a young widow in her late twenties, as a mild-mannered woman with no wants or desires, the perfect Confucian ideal of a proper mourning widow. She eventually attains high social status due to the success of her son, but the novel sees her as a tragic figure because she wasted her youth upholding the strict standards of behavior a Confucian society imposes on its young women, and in the end is never happy in spite of her family fortunes. She is also one of Jin Ling City's Twelve Beauties.
Qin Keqing (秦可卿) - daughter-in-law to Jia Zhen. She is one of the Twelve Beauties. Of all the characters in the novel the circumstances of her life and early death are amongst the most mysterious; different editions of the novel are dramatically different. The author has clearly edited the present edition due to clear discrepancies in chapter titles. Apparently a very beautiful and flirtatious woman, she carried on an affair with her father-in-law and died before the second quarter of the novel. The present text hint at death by suicide, although some scholars speculate that she may have been connected politically and was murdered/ordered to be put to death, and that the political circumstances that surround her death later played a part in precipitating the fall of the house of Jia.
Jia Lian (賈璉) - Xifeng's husband and Baoyu's paternal elder cousin, a notorious womanizer whose numerous affairs cause much trouble with his jealous wife. His pregnant concubines eventually died by his wife's engineering. Along with Xifeng, he manages the Jia household inside and out. He and his wife are in charge of most hiring and monetary allocation decision, and often fight over this power.
Aunt Xue (薛姨媽), née Wang - Baoyu's maternal aunt, mother to Pan and Baochai, sister to Lady Wang. She is kindly and affable for the most part, but finds it hard to control her unruly son.
Xue Pan (薛蟠) - Baochai's older brother, a dissolute, idling rake who was a local bully in Jinling. Not particularly well studied, he once killed a man over a servant-girl and had the manslaughter case done over with money.
Granny Liu (劉姥姥) - a country rustic and distant relation to the Wang family, who provides a comic contrast to the ladies of the Rongguo House during two visits. She took Qiaojie away to hide in her village when her maternal uncle wanted to sell her.
The maids and bondservants
Xiangling (香菱, Lotus; Fragrant Calthrop) - the Xues' maid, born Zhen Yinglian (甄英蓮, a pun with "Really should be pitied"), the kidnapped and lost daughter to Zhen Shiyin (甄士隱), the country gentleman in Chapter 1. She was the cause of a manslaughter case involving Xue Pan. Her name is changed to Qiuling by Xue Pan's spoiled wife, Xia Jin'gui(Cassia). After the death of Cassia, Xiangling becomes Xue Pan's much abused wife.
Ping'er (平兒) - Xifeng's chief maid and personal confidante; also concubine to Xifeng's husband, Jia Lian. The consensus among the novel's characters seem to be that Ping'er is beautiful enough to rival the mistresses in the house. Originally Xifeng's maid in the Wang household, she follows Xifeng as part of her "dowry" when Xifeng marries into the Jia household. Ping'er leads a hard life being torn between the jealous Xifeng and the womanizing Jia Lian. She handles her troubles with grace and appears to have the respect of most of the household servants. She is also one of the very few people who can get close to Xifeng. She wields considerable power in the house as Xifeng's most trusted assistant, but uses her power sparingly and justly.
Xiren (襲人, "Invading Fragrance", Aroma) - Baoyu's principle maid and his unofficial concubine (at that period in Chinese history, a man often has sexual relations with his maids and these maids are only honored with the title of a second wife (concubine) after the man marries his principal wife from a proper matching family). Originally the maid of the Dowager, Xiren was given to Baoyu because of her extreme loyalty toward the master she serves. Considerate and forever worrisome over Baoyu, she is his first adolescent sexual encounter during the early chapters of the novel.
Qingwen (晴雯, Skybright) - Baoyu's other handmaiden. Brash, haughty and the most beautiful maid in the household, Qingwen is said to resemble Daiyu very strongly. Of all of Baoyu's maids, she is the only one who dares to argue with Baoyu when reprimanded, but is also extremely devoted to him. She never had a sexual affair with Baoyu and was disdainful of Xiren's attempt to use her sexual relation with Baoyu to raise her status in the family. Lady Wang later suspected her of having an affair with Baoyu and publicly dismissed her on that account; angry at the unfair treatment she received and of the indignities and slanders that attended her as a result, Qingwen died shortly of an illness after leaving the Jia household.
Zijuan (紫鵑, Purple Nightingale) - Daiyu's chief maid, ceded by the Dowager to her granddaughter. She is a very faithful companion to Dai-yu. At the end of the novel, Zijuan joins Xichun when she becomes a nun.
Yuanyang (鴛鴦, Mandarin Duck) - the Dowager's chief maid. She rejected a marriage proposal (as concubine) to the lecherous Jia She, Grandmother Jia's eldest son. After Grandmother Jia's death during the clan's declining days, she possibly commits suicide.
Mingyan (茗煙, Tealeaf Smoke) - Baoyu's young, male servant-attendant. Knows his master like the back of his hand.
Xueyan(雪雁, Snow Duck) - Daiyu's other main maid. She came with Daiyu from Yangchow. She is a young but sweet girl.
Notable Minor Characters
Qin Zhong-Qin Keqing's younger brother. He is a good friend and classmate to Baoyu.
Jia She-elder son of the Dowager. He is the father of Jia Lian and Jia Yingchun. He is a treacherous and greedy man.
Lady Hsing-Jia She's wife. She is Jia Lian's mother.
Concubine Zhao-concubine of Jia Zheng. She is the mother of Jia Tanchun and Jia Huan. She longs to be the mother of the head of the household, which she fails to do. She plots to murder Baoyu with black magic, and it is believed that her plot cost her her life. She dies while mourning for the Dowager in a temple.
Jia Huan-son of Concubine Zhao.
Sister Silly- a maid who does rough work for the Dowager. She is guileless but amusing and caring. She unintentionally informs Daiyu of Baoyu's secret marrage plans.
Second Sister Yu-concubine to Jia Lian. She is a beautiful and modest young lady. She was the concubine who Wang Xifeng affected so badly that she commited suicide by swallowing gold. She is the younger sister of Lady Yu.
Lady Yu-wife of Jia Zhen. She is the sole mistress of the Ningguo House, and a loving, caring woman.
Jia Zhen-head of the Ningguo House. He has a wife, Lady Yu, a younger sister, Jia Xichun, and many concubines. Like Jia She, he is very greedy and is an extreme womanizer.
Jia Rong-Jia Zhen's son. He is the husband of Qin Keqing. He is an exact copy of his father. He is the Cavaliar of the Imperial Guards.
Qiuteng(Autumn)-Jia Lian's other concubine. Originally a maid of Jia She, she was given to Jia Lian as a concubine. She is a very proud and arrogant woman.
Sheyue(Musk Moon)-Baoyu's main maid after Xiren and Qingwen. She is very beautiful and caring, a perfect complement to Xiren.
Textual Problems
The textual problems of the novel are extremely complex and have been the subject of much critical scrutiny, debate and conjecture in modern times. Cao did not live to publish his novel, and only hand-copied manuscripts survived after his death until 1791, when the first printed version was published. This printed version, known as the Chenggao edition, contains edits and revisions not authorised by the author.
Early manuscript versions
The novel, published up till the 20th century, was anonymous. Since the twentieth century, after Hu Shi's analyses, it is generally agreed Cao Xueqin wrote the first 80 chapters of the novel.
Up until 1791, the novel circulated merely in scribal transcripts. These early hand-copied versions end abruptly at the latest at the 80th chapter. The earlier ones furthermore contain transcribed comments and annotations from unknown commentators in red ink. These commentators' remarks reveal much about the author in person, and it is now believed some may even be members of Cao Xueqin's own family. The most prominent commentator is Red Inkstone (脂砚斋), who revealed much of the interior structuring of the work and the original MS ending, now lost. These MS are the most textually reliable versions, known amongst scholars as "Rouge versions" (脂本). Even amongst the some 11 independent surviving manuscripts, small differences in some characters used, rearrangements and possible rewritings made the texts vary a little from another.
According to novel's first chapter, Cao Xueqin revised his novel five times and died before he had finished the fifth version. To compound this problem, parts of the latter chapters of the book were lost, so we only have 80 chapters that are definitively written by the author.
The early 80 chapters brim with prophecies and dramatic foreshadowings which also give hints as to how the book would continue. For example, it is obvious that Lin Daiyu will eventually die in the course of the novel; that Baoyu and Baochai will marry; that Baoyu will become a monk; various characters will suffer in the snow; and that the whole estate will finally be consumed by flames.
Most modern critical editions have the first 80 chapters based on the Rouge versions.
The 120-chapter version
In 1791, Cheng Weiyuan and Gao E brought together the novel's first movable type edition. This was also the first "complete" edition of The Story of the Stone, which they printed as Dream of the Red Chamber. While the original Rouge manuscripts have up till 80 chapters, ending roughly three-quarters into the plot and clearly incomplete, the 1791 movable type edition completed the novel in 120 chapters. These first 80 chapters were edited from the Rouge versions, but the next 40 were newly published.
In 1792, Chen and Gao published a second edition correcting many "typographical and editorial" errors of the 1791 version with a now-famous preface. In the 1792 preface, the two editors claimed to have put together an ending based on the author's working manuscripts, which they bought from a street vendor.
The debate over the last 40 chapters and the 1792 preface still rages. Most modern scholars believe these chapters were a later addition, with inferior plotting and prose quality to the earlier 80 chapters. Hu Shih argued that the ending was simply forged by Gao E; he cited as support the various foreshadowings of the chief characters' fates in Chapter 5, which does not coincide with the ending of the 1791 Chenggao version.
Other critics suggest Gao E and Cheng Weiyuan may have been duped into taking someone else's forgery as an original work. A few scholars believe that the last 40 chapters contain Cao's work; this is the minority view however.
The book, though, is still normally published and read in Cheng Weiyuan and Gao E's 120-chapter complete version. Some modern critical editions now move these last 40 chapters to an appendix to indicate they were by another's hand.
See also
Redology (红学)
Links
Paintings of characters in Dream of the Red Chamber, by An Ho:
http://museum.oglethorpe.edu/RedChamber.htm
Illustrations for Dreams of Red Chamber by Manhua:
http://www.china-on-site.com/pages/comic/comiccatalog4.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream_of_the_Red_Chamber
Dream of the Red Chamber (in Chinese)
Dream of the Red Chamber characters | Chinese classic novels | 1791 novels
Showing posts with label Chinese novels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chinese novels. Show all posts
Four Great Classical Novels (四大名著)
Four Great Classical Novels (四大名著)
Alternative Names (異名):
四大名著, Four Great Classical Novels
The Four Great Classical Novels, or Four Major Classical Novels (Chinese: 四大名著) of Chinese literature, are the four novels commonly counted by scholars to be the greatest and most influential in classical Chinese fiction. Extremely famous and well known to every Chinese reader in the 20th century, they are not to be confused with the Four Books of Confucianism. These books are considered to be the pinnacle of East Asia's achievement in classical novels, influencing the creation of many games and movies and other entertainment throughout the mainland China, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan.
In chronological order, they are:
Romance of the Three Kingdoms (三國演義) (14th century) (more recently and appropriately known as, and translated as, simply "Three Kingdoms")
Water Margin (水滸傳) (also known as Outlaws of the Marsh) (14th century),
Journey to the West (西遊記) (16th century),
Dream of the Red Chamber (紅樓夢) (also known as The Story of the Stone) (first block print 1791)
Some consider Jin Ping Mei (金瓶梅) (The Plum in the Golden Vase or Golden Lotus) (1610) to be a fifth classic. In the late Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty, Jin Ping Mei along with the above first three novels, was classified as "Four Major Novels of Wonder" (四大奇書，四大奇书) by Feng Menglong (冯梦龙). With the advent of Dream of the Red Chamber, its position has gradually been usurped. For a long time, it has almost faded into oblivion because Chinese government banned it for its explicit description of sex.
Links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Great_Classical_Novels
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_mythology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Chinese_mythology
Chinese classic texts | Chinese literature | Chinese classic novels
Alternative Names (異名):
四大名著, Four Great Classical Novels
The Four Great Classical Novels, or Four Major Classical Novels (Chinese: 四大名著) of Chinese literature, are the four novels commonly counted by scholars to be the greatest and most influential in classical Chinese fiction. Extremely famous and well known to every Chinese reader in the 20th century, they are not to be confused with the Four Books of Confucianism. These books are considered to be the pinnacle of East Asia's achievement in classical novels, influencing the creation of many games and movies and other entertainment throughout the mainland China, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan.
In chronological order, they are:
Romance of the Three Kingdoms (三國演義) (14th century) (more recently and appropriately known as, and translated as, simply "Three Kingdoms")
Water Margin (水滸傳) (also known as Outlaws of the Marsh) (14th century),
Journey to the West (西遊記) (16th century),
Dream of the Red Chamber (紅樓夢) (also known as The Story of the Stone) (first block print 1791)
Some consider Jin Ping Mei (金瓶梅) (The Plum in the Golden Vase or Golden Lotus) (1610) to be a fifth classic. In the late Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty, Jin Ping Mei along with the above first three novels, was classified as "Four Major Novels of Wonder" (四大奇書，四大奇书) by Feng Menglong (冯梦龙). With the advent of Dream of the Red Chamber, its position has gradually been usurped. For a long time, it has almost faded into oblivion because Chinese government banned it for its explicit description of sex.
Links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Great_Classical_Novels
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_mythology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Chinese_mythology
Chinese classic texts | Chinese literature | Chinese classic novels
Leizhenzi (雷震子)
Leizhenzi (雷震子)
Alternative Names (異名):
雷震子, Léizhènzǐ, Leizhenzi
Leizhenzi (Chinese: 雷震子; Pinyin: Léizhènzǐ) a character featured within the famed ancient Chinese novel Investiture of the Gods (more commonly known as Fengshen Yanyi).
Leizhenzi is a celestial being that had been created by a certain great thunderstorm at Mount Swallow. Ji Chang had been the one to first receive the small new born, and thus the baby would become known as the third son of Ji Chang. However, Yunzhongzi would take the new born in as his own disciple, for he was destined to assist in the creation of the new Zhou Dynasty.
Seven years later, at a time in which Ji Chang was seen fleeing for his life from the capital after finally being freed, Leizhenzi, now seven, would be sitting with his mastr, Yunzhongzi atop Mount South End. Once Leizhenzi was told to assist his father, but first grab ahold of his weapon - which was by the cliff's edge - Leizhenzi would look everywhere in wonder. Soon enough, Leizhenzi would find two large apricots at the edge of the cliff, and eat them both with due haste. Immediately following this point, two large wings would suddenly sprout from Leizhenzi's back, and his face became like that of a monsters'.
Once Leizhenzi returned to his father, he would receive a golden rod as his weapon and would be instructed to finally assist his father. Thus, once Leizhenzi met his father atop a mountain slope, he would first deal with General Lei and Yin by creating a rock slide with his golden rod. While hanging on to Leizhenzi's back, Leizhenzi would then transport his father through the five mountain passes. With these words, Leizhenzi would depart from his father: "My father, you are now safe. Now I must say good-bye and return to Mount South End. Please take care of yourself. I will see you again someday."
Links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leizhenzi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_mythology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Chinese_mythology
Fengshen Yanyi characters | Taoism | Chinese gods | Chinese mythology
Alternative Names (異名):
雷震子, Léizhènzǐ, Leizhenzi
Leizhenzi (Chinese: 雷震子; Pinyin: Léizhènzǐ) a character featured within the famed ancient Chinese novel Investiture of the Gods (more commonly known as Fengshen Yanyi).
Leizhenzi is a celestial being that had been created by a certain great thunderstorm at Mount Swallow. Ji Chang had been the one to first receive the small new born, and thus the baby would become known as the third son of Ji Chang. However, Yunzhongzi would take the new born in as his own disciple, for he was destined to assist in the creation of the new Zhou Dynasty.
Seven years later, at a time in which Ji Chang was seen fleeing for his life from the capital after finally being freed, Leizhenzi, now seven, would be sitting with his mastr, Yunzhongzi atop Mount South End. Once Leizhenzi was told to assist his father, but first grab ahold of his weapon - which was by the cliff's edge - Leizhenzi would look everywhere in wonder. Soon enough, Leizhenzi would find two large apricots at the edge of the cliff, and eat them both with due haste. Immediately following this point, two large wings would suddenly sprout from Leizhenzi's back, and his face became like that of a monsters'.
Once Leizhenzi returned to his father, he would receive a golden rod as his weapon and would be instructed to finally assist his father. Thus, once Leizhenzi met his father atop a mountain slope, he would first deal with General Lei and Yin by creating a rock slide with his golden rod. While hanging on to Leizhenzi's back, Leizhenzi would then transport his father through the five mountain passes. With these words, Leizhenzi would depart from his father: "My father, you are now safe. Now I must say good-bye and return to Mount South End. Please take care of yourself. I will see you again someday."
Links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leizhenzi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_mythology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Chinese_mythology
Fengshen Yanyi characters | Taoism | Chinese gods | Chinese mythology
Journey to the West (西遊記)
Journey to the West (西遊記)
Alternative Names (異名):
西遊記, 西游记, Journey to the West
Journey to the West (traditional Chinese: 西遊記; simplified Chinese: 西游记; pinyin: Xīyóujì; Wade-Giles: Hsiyu-chi) is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Originally published anonymously in the 1590s during the Ming Dynasty, and even though no direct evidence of its authorship survives, it has been ascribed to the scholar Wú Chéng'ēn since the 20th century.
The tale is also often known simply as Monkey. This was one title used for a popular, abridged translation by Arthur Waley. The Waley translation has also been published as Adventures of the Monkey God; and Monkey: [A] Folk Novel of China; and The Adventures of Monkey.
The novel is a fictionalized account of the legends around the Buddhist monk Xuánzàng's pilgrimage to India during the Táng dynasty in order to obtain Buddhist religious texts called sutras. The Bodhisattva Guānyīn, on instruction from the Buddha, gives this task to the monk and his three protectors in the form of disciples — namely Sūn Wùkōng, Zhū Bājiè and Shā Wùjìng — together with a dragon prince who acts as Xuánzàng's horse mount. These four characters have agreed to help Xuánzàng as an atonement for past sins.
Some scholars propose that the book satirises the effete Chinese government at the time. Journey to the West has a strong background in Chinese folk religion, Chinese mythology and value systems; the pantheon of Taoist immortals and Buddhist bodhisattvas is still reflective of Chinese folk religious beliefs today.
Part of the novel's enduring popularity comes from the fact that it works on multiple levels: it is a first-rate adventure story, a dispenser of spiritual insight, and an extended allegory in which the group of pilgrims journeying toward India stands for the individual journeying toward enlightenment.
Synopsis
The novel comprises 100 chapters. These can be divided into four very unequal parts. The first, which includes chapters 1–7, is really a self-contained prequel to the main body of the story. It deals entirely with the earlier exploits of Sūn Wùkōng, a monkey born from a stone nourished by the Five Elements, who learns the art of the Tao, 72 polymorphic transformations, combat and secrets of immortality, and through guile and force makes a name for himself as the Qítiān Dàshèng (simplified Chinese: 齐天大圣; traditional Chinese: 齊天大聖), or "Great Sage Equal to Heaven". His powers grow to match the forces of all of the Eastern (Taoist) deities, and the prologue culminates in Sūn's rebellion against Heaven, during a time when he garnered a post in the celestial bureaucracy. Hubris proves his downfall when the Buddha manages to trap him under a mountain for five hundred years.
Only following this introductory story is the nominal main character, Xuánzàng, introduced. Chapters 8–12 provide his early biography and the background to his great journey. Dismayed that "the land of the South knows only greed, hedonism, promiscuity, and sins", the Buddha instructs the Bodhisattva Guānyīn to search Táng China for someone to take the Buddhist sutras of "transcendence and persuasion for good will" back to the East. Part of the story here also relates to how Xuánzàng becomes a monk (as well as revealing his past life as the "Golden Cicada" and comes about being sent on this pilgrimage by the Emperor Táng Tàizōng, who previously escaped death with the help of an underworld official).
The third and longest section of the work is chapters 13–99, an episodic adventure story which combines elements of the quest as well as the picaresque. The skeleton of the story is Xuánzàng's quest to bring back Buddhist scriptures from Vulture Peak in India, but the flesh is provided by the conflict between Xuánzàng's disciples and the various evils that beset him on the way.
The scenery of this section is, nominally, the sparsely populated lands along the Silk Road between China and India, including Xinjiang, Turkestan, and Afghanistan. The geography described in the book is, however, almost entirely fantastic; once Xuánzàng departs Cháng'ān, the Táng capital and crosses the frontier (somewhere in Gansu province), he finds himself in a wilderness of deep gorges and tall mountains, all inhabited by flesh-eating demons who regard him as a potential meal (since his flesh was believed to give Immortality to whoever eats it), with here and there a hidden monastery or royal city-state amid the wilds.
The episodic structure of this section is to some extent formulaic. Episodes consist of 1–4 chapters, and usually involve Xuánzàng being captured and his life threatened, while his disciples try to find an ingenious (and often violent) way of liberating him. Although some of Xuánzàng's predicaments are political and involve ordinary human beings, they more frequently consist of run-ins with various goblins and ogres, many of whom turn out to be the earthly manifestations of heavenly beings (whose sins will be negated by eating the flesh of Xuanzang) or animal-spirits with enough Taoist spiritual merit to assume semi-human forms.
Chapters 13–22 do not follow this structure precisely, as they introduce Xuánzàng's disciples, who, inspired or goaded by Guānyīn, meet and agree to serve him along the way, in order to atone for their sins in their past lives.
The first is Sun Wukong (simplified Chinese: 孙悟空; traditional Chinese: 孫悟空), or Monkey, previously "Great Sage Equal to Heaven", trapped by Buddha for rebelling against Heaven. He appears right away in Chapter 13. The most intelligent and violent of the disciples, he is constantly reproved for his violence by Xuánzàng. Ultimately, he can only be controlled by a magic gold band that the Bodhisattva has placed around his head, which causes him excruciating pain when Xuánzàng says certain magic words.
The second, appearing in 19, is Zhu Bajie (simplified Chinese: 猪八戒; traditional Chinese: 豬八戒), literally Eight-precepts Pig, sometimes translated as Pigsy or just Pig. He was previously Marshal Tīan Péng (simplified Chinese: 天蓬元帅; traditional Chinese: 天蓬元帥), commander of the Heavenly Naval forces, banished to the mortal realm for flirting with the Princess of the Moon Chang'e. He is characterized by his insatiable appetites for food and sex, and is constantly looking for a way out of his duties, but is always kept in line by Sūn Wùkōng.
The third, appearing in chapter 22, is the river-ogre Sha Wujing (simplified Chinese: 沙悟净; traditional Chinese: 沙悟淨), also translated as Friar Sand or Sandy. He was previously Great General who Folds the Curtain (simplified Chinese: 卷帘大将; traditional Chinese: 捲簾大將), banished to the mortal realm for dropping (and shattering) a crystal goblet of the Heavenly Queen Mother. He is a quiet but generally dependable character, who serves as the straight foil to the comic relief of Sūn and Zhū.
Possibly to be counted as a fourth disciple is the third prince of the Dragon-King, Yùlóng Sāntàizǐ (simplified Chinese: 玉龙三太子; traditional Chinese: 玉龍三太子), who was sentenced to death for setting fire to his father's great pearl. He was saved by Guānyīn from execution to stay and wait for his call of duty. He appears first in chapter 15, but has almost no speaking role, as throughout most of the story he appears in the transformed shape of a horse that Xuánzàng rides on.
Chapter 22, where Shā is introduced, also provides a geographical boundary, as the river of quicksand that the travelers cross brings them into a new "continent". Chapters 23–86 take place in the wilderness, and consist of 24 episodes of varying length, each characterized by a different magical monster or evil magician. There are impassably wide rivers, flaming mountains, a kingdom ruled by women, a lair of seductive spider-spirits, and many other fantastic scenarios. Throughout the journey, the four brave disciples have to fend off attacks on their master and teacher Xuánzàng from various monsters and calamities.
It is strongly suggested that most of these calamities are engineered by fate and/or the Buddha, as, while the monsters who attack are vast in power and many in number, no real harm ever comes to the four travelers. Some of the monsters turn out to be escaped heavenly animals belonging to bodisattvas or Taoist sages and spirits. Towards the end of the book there is a scene where the Buddha literally commands the fulfillment of the last disaster, because Xuánzàng is one short of the eighty-one disasters he needs to attain Buddhahood.
In chapter 87, Xuánzàng finally reaches the borderlands of India, and chapters 87–99 present magical adventures in a somewhat more mundane (though still exotic) setting. At length, after a pilgrimage said to have taken fourteen years (the text actually only provides evidence for nine of those years, but presumably there was room to add additional episodes) they arrive at the half-real, half-legendary destination of Vulture Peak, where, in a scene simultaneously mystical and comic, Xuánzàng receives the scriptures from the living Buddha.
Chapter 100, the last of all, quickly describes the return journey to the Táng Empire, and the aftermath in which each traveler receives a reward in the form of posts in the bureaucracy of the heavens. Sūn Wùkōng and Xuánzàng achieve Buddhahood, Wùjìng becomes an arhat, the dragon is made a Naga, and Bājiè, whose good deeds have always been tempered by his greed, is promoted to an altar cleanser (i.e. eater of excess offerings at altars).
Historical context
The classic story of the Journey to the West was based on real events. In real life, Xuanzang (born c. 602 - 664) was a monk at Jingtu Temple in late-Sui Dynasty and early-Tang Dynasty Chang'an. Motivated by the poor quality of Chinese translations of Buddhist scripture at the time, Xuanzang left Chang'an in 629, despite the border being closed at the time due to war with the Gokturks. Helped by sympathetic Buddhists, he travelled via Gansu and Qinghai to Kumul (Hami), thence following the Tian Shan mountains to Turfan. He then crossed what are today Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan, into Gandhara, reaching India in 630. Xuanzang travelled throughout the Indian subcontinent for the next thirteen years, visiting important Buddhist pilgrimage sites and studying at the ancient university at Nalanda.
Xuanzang left India in 643 and arrived back in Chang'an in 646 to a warm reception by Emperor Taizong of Tang. He joined Da Ci'en Monastery (Monastery of Great Maternal Grace), where he led the building of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in order to store the scriptures and icons he had brought back from India. He recorded his journey in the book Journey to the West in the Great Tang Dynasty. With the support of the Emperor, he established an institute at Yuhua Gong (Palace of the Lustre of Jade) monastery dedicated to translating into Chinese the scriptures he had brought back. His translation and commentary work established him as the founder of the Dharma character school of Buddhism. Xuanzang died on March 7, 664. The Xingjiao Monastery was established in 669 to house his ashes.
Popular stories of Xuánzàng's journey were in existence long before Journey to the West was written. In these versions, dating as far back as Southern Song, a monkey character was already a primary protagonist. Before the Yuan Dynasty and early Ming, elements of the Monkey story were already seen.
Main characters
Tripitaka or Xuánzàng
Xuánzàng (玄奘) (or Táng-Sānzàng (唐三藏), meaning "Táng-dynasty monk" — Sānzàng (三藏) or "Three Baskets", referring to the Tripitaka, was a traditional honorific for a Buddhist monk) is the Buddhist monk who set out to India to retrieve the Buddhist scriptures for China. He is called Tripitaka in many English versions of the story. Although he is helpless when it comes to defending himself, the bodhisattva Guānyīn helps by finding him powerful disciples (Sūn Wùkōng, Zhū Bājiè, and Shā Wùjìng) who aid and protect him on his journey. In return, the disciples will receive enlightenment and forgiveness for their sins once the journey is done. Along the way, they help the local inhabitants by defeating various monsters. The fact that most of the monsters and demons are trying to obtain immortality by eating Xuánzàng's flesh, and are even attracted to him as he is depicted as quite handsome, provides much of the plot in the story.
Monkey King (Emperor of Monkeys) or Sūn Wùkōng
Sūn Wùkōng is the name given to this character by his teacher, Patriarch Subhuti, and means "the one who has Achieved the Perfect Comprehension of the Extinction of both Emptiness and non-Emptiness"; he is called Monkey King or simply Monkey Emperor in English.
He was born out of a rock that had been dormant for ages in Flower Fruit Mountain that was inhabited/weathered by the sun and moon until a monkey sprang forth. He first distinguished himself by bravely entering the Cave of Water Curtains (pinyin:Shuǐlián-dòng) at the Mountains of Flowers and Fruits (Huāguǒ-shān); for this feat, his monkey tribe gave him the title of Měi-hóuwáng ("handsome monkey-king"). Later, he started making trouble in Heaven and defeated an army of 100,000 celestial soldiers, led by the Four Heavenly Kings, Erlang Shen, and Nezha. Eventually, the Jade Emperor appealed to Buddha, who subdued and trapped Wukong under a mountain. He was only saved when Xuanzang came by him on his pilgrimage and accepted him as a disciple.
His primary weapon is the rúyì-jīngū-bàng ("will-following golden-banded staff"), which he can shrink down to the size of a needle and keep behind his ear, as well as expand it to gigantic proportions (hence the "will-following" part of the name). The staff, originally a pillar supporting the undersea palace of the East Sea Dragon King, weighs 13,500 pounds, which he pulled out of its support and swung with ease. The Dragon King, not wanting him to cause any trouble, also gave him a suit of golden armor. These gifts, combined with his devouring of the peaches of immortality and three jars of immortality pills while in Heaven, plus his ordeal in an eight-trigram furnace (which gave him a steel-hard body and fiery golden eyes), makes Wukong the strongest member by far of the pilgrimage. Besides these abilities, he can also pull hairs from his body and blow on them to transform them into whatever he wishes (usually clones of himself to gain a numerical advantage in battle). Although he has mastered seventy-two methods of transformations, it does not mean that he is restricted to seventy-two different forms. He can also do a jīndǒuyún ("cloud somersault"), enabling him to travel vast distances in a single leap. Wukong uses his talents to fight demons and play pranks. However, his behavior is checked by a band placed around his head by Guanyin, which cannot be removed by Wukong himself until the journey's end. Xuanzang can tighten this band by chanting the Tightening-Crown spell (taught to him by Guanyin) whenever he needs to chastise him.
Wukong's child-like playfulness is a huge contrast to his cunning mind. This, coupled with his acrobatic skills, makes him a likeable hero, though not necessarily a good role model. His antics present a lighter side in what proposes to be a long and dangerous trip into the unknown.
Zhū Bājiè
Zhū Bājiè ("Pig of the Eight Prohibitions") is also known as Zhū Wùnéng ("Pig Awakened to Power"), and given the name Pigsy or Pig in English.
Once an immortal who was the Tiānpéng-yuánshuǎi ("Field Marshal Tianpeng") of 100,000 soldiers of the Milky Way, during a celebration of gods, he drank too much and attempted to flirt with Cháng'é, the beautiful moon goddess, resulting in his banishment into the mortal world. He was supposed to be reborn as a human, but ended up in the womb of a sow due to an error at the Reincarnation Wheel, which turned him into a half-man half-pig monster. Staying within Yúnzhan-dòng ("cloud-pathway cave"), he was commissioned by Guanyin to accompany Xuanzang to India and given the new name Zhu Wuneng.
However, Wuneng's desire for women led him to Gao Village, where he posed as a normal being and took a wife. Later, when the villagers discovered that he was a monster, Wuneng hid the girl away. At this point, Xuanzang and Wukong arrived at Gao Village and helped subdue him. Renamed Zhu Bajie by Xuanzang, he consequently joined the pilgrimage to the West.
His weapon of choice is the jiǔchǐdīngpá ("nine-tooth iron rake"). He is also capable of thirty-six transformations (as compared to Wukong's seventy-two), and can travel on clouds, but not as fast as Wukong. However, Bajie is noted for his fighting skills in the water, which he used to combat Sha Wujing, who later joined them on the journey. He is the second strongest member of the team.
Shā Wùjìng
Shā Wùjìng (literally meaning "Sand Awakened to Purity"), given the name Friar Sand or Sandy in English, was once the Curtain Raising General, who stood in attendance by the imperial chariot in the Hall of Miraculous Mist. He was exiled to the mortal world and made to look like a monster because he accidentally smashed a crystal goblet belonging to the Heavenly Queen Mother during the Peach Banquet. The now-hideous immortal took up residence in the Flowing Sands River, terrorizing the surrounding villages and travelers trying to cross the river. However, he was subdued by Sūn Wùkōng and Zhū Bājiè when the Xuānzàng party came across him. They consequently took him in to be a part of the pilgrimage to the West.
Shā Wùjìng's weapon is the yuèyáchǎn ("Crescent-Moon-Shovel" or "Monk's Spade"). Aside from that, he knows eighteen transformations and is highly effective in water combat. He is about as strong as Bājiè, and is much stronger than Wùkōng in water. However, Bājiè can beat Wujing in a test of endurance, and Wùkōng can beat him out of water.
Shā Wùjìng is known to be the most obedient, logical, and polite of the three disciples, and always takes care of his master, seldom engaging in the bickeries of his fellow-disciples. Ever reliable, he carries the luggage for the travellers. Perhaps this is why he is sometimes seen as a minor character; the lack of any particular perks confers the lack of distinguishing and/or redeeming characteristics.
Wùjìng eventually becomes an Arhat at the end of the journey, giving him a higher level of exaltation than Bājiè, who is relegated to cleaning every altar at every Buddhist temple for eternity, but is still lower spiritually than Wùkōng or Xuānzàng who are granted Buddhahood.
List of Demons
There are many demons in the story. They are listed below:
Black-Bear-Demon (pinyin: Hēixióngguài)
Yellow Wind Demon (Huángfēngguài)
Zhen Yuan Holy Man (He is not a demon, but an immortal, who got annoyed by those disciples who stole his precious immortal-fruits (Ginseng Fruits, 人参果).)
White-Bone-Demon (pinyin: Báigǔjīng)
Yellow Robe Demon (pinyin: Huángpáoguài)
Gold-Horn and Silver-Horn (pinyin: Jīnjiǎo and Yínjiǎo)
Red-Boy a.k.a. Holy Baby King (pinyin: Hóng-hái'ér; Japanese: Kōgaiji)
Tiger Power, Deer Power and Goat (or Antelope) Power
Black River Dragon Demon (Hēi Shǔi Hé Yuan Lóng Gài)
Carp Demon (Li Yu Jīng)
Green-Ox-Demon (pinyin: Qīngniújīng)
Scorpion-Demon (pinyin: Xiēzijīng)
Six Ear Monkey Demon (a.k.a Fake Sun Wukong)
Ox-Demon-King (pinyin: Niúmówáng; Japanese: Gyūmaō)
Demon Woman (Luo Cha Nǚ)
Jade-Faced Princess (pinyin: Yùmiàn-gōngzhǔ; Japanese: Gyokumen-kōshū)
Boa Demon (Hong She Jīng)
Nine-Headed Bird Demon (Jiǔ Tou Fu Ma)
Seven-Spider-Demons (pinyin: Zhīzhū-jīng)
Hundred-Eyed Taoist (Bǎi Yan Mo Jun)
Green Lion Demon (pinyin: Qīngshījīng)
White-Elephant-Demon (pinyin: Báixiàngjīng)
Falcon Demon (Sun Jīng)
Biqiu Country Minister a.k.a Deer Demon
Gold-Nosed, White Mouse Demon (Lao Shu Jīng)
Dream-Demon
Media adaptations
Stage
Journey to the West: The Musical: A stage musical which received its world premiere at the New York Musical Theatre Festival on September 25, 2006.
Monkey: Journey to the West: A stage musical version created by Chen Shi-zheng, Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. It premiered as part of the 2007 Manchester International Festival at the Palace Theatre on June 28.
The Monkey King: A production by the Children's Theater Company in Minneapolis, MN in 2005.
Film
Monkey Goes West: The Shaw Brothers' 1966 Hong Kong film (Cantonese: Sau yau gei. Also known as "Monkey with 72 Magic". Directed by Ho Meng-Hua.
Princess Iron Fan (Tie shan gong zhu) a 1966 sequel to Monkey Goes West, adapting two episodes from the novel. Directed by Ho Meng-Hua.
Cave of the Silken Web (1967), the next film in the series. Directed by Ho Meng-Hua.
The Land of Many Perfumes (1968), the fourth film in the Shaw Brothers' series based (increasingly loosely) on Journey to the West. Directed by Ho Meng-Hua.
A Chinese Odyssey by Stephen Chow (1994).
Heavenly Legend: A 1998 film by Tai Seng Entertainment starring Kung Fu kid Sik Siu Loong is partially based on this legend.
A Chinese Tall Story: 2005 live action movie starring Nicholas Tse as Xuánzàng.
The Forbidden Kingdom: 2008 live action movie starring Jackie Chan and Jet Li which is said to be based on the Legend of the Monkey King, the same legend as the TV show Monkey.
Live action television
Monkey (1978-1980): A well-known 1970s Japanese television series based on Journey to the West translated into English by the BBC.
Journey to the West (1986): A TV series produced by CCTV.
Journey to the West (1996): A popular series produced by Hong Kong studio TVB, starring Dicky Cheung.
Journey to the West II (1998): The sequel to TVB's Journey to the West series, starring Benny Chan.
The Monkey King (2001): Sci Fi Channel's TV adaptation of this legend, also called The Lost Empire.
The Monkey King: Quest for the Sutra (2002): A loose adaptation starring Dicky Cheung, who also portrayed Sun Wukong in the 1996 TVB series.
Saiyūki (2006): A Japanese television series starring the SMAP star Shingo Katori.
Comics, manga and anime
Alakazam the Great: One of the first anime films produced by Toei Animation, a retelling of first part of the story based on the characters designed by Osamu Tezuka.
Gensōmaden Saiyūki: manga and anime series inspired by the legend. Follow-up series include Saiyūki Reload and Saiyūki Reload Gunlock.
Patalliro Saiyuki: A shōnen-ai series in both anime and manga formats with the Patalliro! cast playing out the Zaiyuji storyline with a BL twist.
Havoc in Heaven (also known as Uproar in Heaven): Original animation from China.
Iyashite Agerun Saiyūki (Iyashite Agerun Saiyuki, 癒してあげルン 西遊記) : A 2007 adult anime
Monkey Magic: An animated retelling of the legend.
Monkey Typhoon: A manga and anime series based on the Journey to the West saga, following a futuristic steampunk-retelling of the legend.
Starzinger: An animated science fiction version of the story.
The Monkey King: A gruesome manga inspired by the tale.
Works referencing Journey to the West
American Born Chinese: An American graphic novel by Gene Yang. Nominated for the National Book Award (2006).
Doraemon: A special tells the story of Journey To The West casting the Doraemon characters as the characters of the legend.
Dragon Ball: Japanese manga and anime series loosely inspired by Journey to the West.
Eyeshield 21: Three of the players for the Shinryuji Nagas are referred to as the Saiyuki Trio based upon their appearances and personalities.
InuYasha: The characters meet descendants of three of the main characters of the Journey of the West in one episode and main character, Kagome Higurashi, says a few lines about the whole book and story. Also, Inuyasha's necklace, which allows Kagome to punish him at will, is probably based on Sun Wukong's headband.
Kaleido Star: The cast performs Saiyuki on stage a few times in the beginning of the second half of the series.
Love Hina: The characters put on a play based on the story in anime episode 16.
Naruto: Temari, a character from Naruto, is based on Princess Iron Fan from the legend. Enma is a summoned monkey who bears resemblance to Sun Wukong. He has the ability to transform into a staff similar to the rúyì-jīngū-bàng, which can alter its size at will.
Ninja Sentai Kakuranger: The 1994 Super Sentai series, where each of the main characters are inspired by the main characters of Journey to the West
GoGo Sentai Boukenger: The 2006 Super Sentai series, where its final episode involved the Rúyì-jīngū-bàng
Juken Sentai Gekiranger: The 2007 Super Sentai series, where one of its villians fighting style is homeage to Sun Wukong.
Ranma 1/2: Pastiches of the characters appear throughout the manga and movies.
Read or Die (OVA): One of the villains is a clone of Xuanzang, who seems to have the powers of Sun Wukong and Xuanzang.
Sakura Wars: The Imperial Flower Troupe Performs the play of Journey to the West.
Science Fiction Saiyuki Starzinger (SF西遊記スタージンガー, Esu Efu Saiyuki Sutājingā?): 1978-1979 anime of a sci-fi space opera retelling of Journey to the West by Toei Animation.
Shinzo: An anime loosely based on Journey to the West.
XIN: An American comic mini-series produced by Anarchy Studio.
Links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Journey_to_the_West
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_mythology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Chinese_mythology
Chinese classic novels | Epics | Journey to the West | 1590s books
Alternative Names (異名):
西遊記, 西游记, Journey to the West
Journey to the West (traditional Chinese: 西遊記; simplified Chinese: 西游记; pinyin: Xīyóujì; Wade-Giles: Hsiyu-chi) is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Originally published anonymously in the 1590s during the Ming Dynasty, and even though no direct evidence of its authorship survives, it has been ascribed to the scholar Wú Chéng'ēn since the 20th century.
The tale is also often known simply as Monkey. This was one title used for a popular, abridged translation by Arthur Waley. The Waley translation has also been published as Adventures of the Monkey God; and Monkey: [A] Folk Novel of China; and The Adventures of Monkey.
The novel is a fictionalized account of the legends around the Buddhist monk Xuánzàng's pilgrimage to India during the Táng dynasty in order to obtain Buddhist religious texts called sutras. The Bodhisattva Guānyīn, on instruction from the Buddha, gives this task to the monk and his three protectors in the form of disciples — namely Sūn Wùkōng, Zhū Bājiè and Shā Wùjìng — together with a dragon prince who acts as Xuánzàng's horse mount. These four characters have agreed to help Xuánzàng as an atonement for past sins.
Some scholars propose that the book satirises the effete Chinese government at the time. Journey to the West has a strong background in Chinese folk religion, Chinese mythology and value systems; the pantheon of Taoist immortals and Buddhist bodhisattvas is still reflective of Chinese folk religious beliefs today.
Part of the novel's enduring popularity comes from the fact that it works on multiple levels: it is a first-rate adventure story, a dispenser of spiritual insight, and an extended allegory in which the group of pilgrims journeying toward India stands for the individual journeying toward enlightenment.
Synopsis
The novel comprises 100 chapters. These can be divided into four very unequal parts. The first, which includes chapters 1–7, is really a self-contained prequel to the main body of the story. It deals entirely with the earlier exploits of Sūn Wùkōng, a monkey born from a stone nourished by the Five Elements, who learns the art of the Tao, 72 polymorphic transformations, combat and secrets of immortality, and through guile and force makes a name for himself as the Qítiān Dàshèng (simplified Chinese: 齐天大圣; traditional Chinese: 齊天大聖), or "Great Sage Equal to Heaven". His powers grow to match the forces of all of the Eastern (Taoist) deities, and the prologue culminates in Sūn's rebellion against Heaven, during a time when he garnered a post in the celestial bureaucracy. Hubris proves his downfall when the Buddha manages to trap him under a mountain for five hundred years.
Only following this introductory story is the nominal main character, Xuánzàng, introduced. Chapters 8–12 provide his early biography and the background to his great journey. Dismayed that "the land of the South knows only greed, hedonism, promiscuity, and sins", the Buddha instructs the Bodhisattva Guānyīn to search Táng China for someone to take the Buddhist sutras of "transcendence and persuasion for good will" back to the East. Part of the story here also relates to how Xuánzàng becomes a monk (as well as revealing his past life as the "Golden Cicada" and comes about being sent on this pilgrimage by the Emperor Táng Tàizōng, who previously escaped death with the help of an underworld official).
The third and longest section of the work is chapters 13–99, an episodic adventure story which combines elements of the quest as well as the picaresque. The skeleton of the story is Xuánzàng's quest to bring back Buddhist scriptures from Vulture Peak in India, but the flesh is provided by the conflict between Xuánzàng's disciples and the various evils that beset him on the way.
The scenery of this section is, nominally, the sparsely populated lands along the Silk Road between China and India, including Xinjiang, Turkestan, and Afghanistan. The geography described in the book is, however, almost entirely fantastic; once Xuánzàng departs Cháng'ān, the Táng capital and crosses the frontier (somewhere in Gansu province), he finds himself in a wilderness of deep gorges and tall mountains, all inhabited by flesh-eating demons who regard him as a potential meal (since his flesh was believed to give Immortality to whoever eats it), with here and there a hidden monastery or royal city-state amid the wilds.
The episodic structure of this section is to some extent formulaic. Episodes consist of 1–4 chapters, and usually involve Xuánzàng being captured and his life threatened, while his disciples try to find an ingenious (and often violent) way of liberating him. Although some of Xuánzàng's predicaments are political and involve ordinary human beings, they more frequently consist of run-ins with various goblins and ogres, many of whom turn out to be the earthly manifestations of heavenly beings (whose sins will be negated by eating the flesh of Xuanzang) or animal-spirits with enough Taoist spiritual merit to assume semi-human forms.
Chapters 13–22 do not follow this structure precisely, as they introduce Xuánzàng's disciples, who, inspired or goaded by Guānyīn, meet and agree to serve him along the way, in order to atone for their sins in their past lives.
The first is Sun Wukong (simplified Chinese: 孙悟空; traditional Chinese: 孫悟空), or Monkey, previously "Great Sage Equal to Heaven", trapped by Buddha for rebelling against Heaven. He appears right away in Chapter 13. The most intelligent and violent of the disciples, he is constantly reproved for his violence by Xuánzàng. Ultimately, he can only be controlled by a magic gold band that the Bodhisattva has placed around his head, which causes him excruciating pain when Xuánzàng says certain magic words.
The second, appearing in 19, is Zhu Bajie (simplified Chinese: 猪八戒; traditional Chinese: 豬八戒), literally Eight-precepts Pig, sometimes translated as Pigsy or just Pig. He was previously Marshal Tīan Péng (simplified Chinese: 天蓬元帅; traditional Chinese: 天蓬元帥), commander of the Heavenly Naval forces, banished to the mortal realm for flirting with the Princess of the Moon Chang'e. He is characterized by his insatiable appetites for food and sex, and is constantly looking for a way out of his duties, but is always kept in line by Sūn Wùkōng.
The third, appearing in chapter 22, is the river-ogre Sha Wujing (simplified Chinese: 沙悟净; traditional Chinese: 沙悟淨), also translated as Friar Sand or Sandy. He was previously Great General who Folds the Curtain (simplified Chinese: 卷帘大将; traditional Chinese: 捲簾大將), banished to the mortal realm for dropping (and shattering) a crystal goblet of the Heavenly Queen Mother. He is a quiet but generally dependable character, who serves as the straight foil to the comic relief of Sūn and Zhū.
Possibly to be counted as a fourth disciple is the third prince of the Dragon-King, Yùlóng Sāntàizǐ (simplified Chinese: 玉龙三太子; traditional Chinese: 玉龍三太子), who was sentenced to death for setting fire to his father's great pearl. He was saved by Guānyīn from execution to stay and wait for his call of duty. He appears first in chapter 15, but has almost no speaking role, as throughout most of the story he appears in the transformed shape of a horse that Xuánzàng rides on.
Chapter 22, where Shā is introduced, also provides a geographical boundary, as the river of quicksand that the travelers cross brings them into a new "continent". Chapters 23–86 take place in the wilderness, and consist of 24 episodes of varying length, each characterized by a different magical monster or evil magician. There are impassably wide rivers, flaming mountains, a kingdom ruled by women, a lair of seductive spider-spirits, and many other fantastic scenarios. Throughout the journey, the four brave disciples have to fend off attacks on their master and teacher Xuánzàng from various monsters and calamities.
It is strongly suggested that most of these calamities are engineered by fate and/or the Buddha, as, while the monsters who attack are vast in power and many in number, no real harm ever comes to the four travelers. Some of the monsters turn out to be escaped heavenly animals belonging to bodisattvas or Taoist sages and spirits. Towards the end of the book there is a scene where the Buddha literally commands the fulfillment of the last disaster, because Xuánzàng is one short of the eighty-one disasters he needs to attain Buddhahood.
In chapter 87, Xuánzàng finally reaches the borderlands of India, and chapters 87–99 present magical adventures in a somewhat more mundane (though still exotic) setting. At length, after a pilgrimage said to have taken fourteen years (the text actually only provides evidence for nine of those years, but presumably there was room to add additional episodes) they arrive at the half-real, half-legendary destination of Vulture Peak, where, in a scene simultaneously mystical and comic, Xuánzàng receives the scriptures from the living Buddha.
Chapter 100, the last of all, quickly describes the return journey to the Táng Empire, and the aftermath in which each traveler receives a reward in the form of posts in the bureaucracy of the heavens. Sūn Wùkōng and Xuánzàng achieve Buddhahood, Wùjìng becomes an arhat, the dragon is made a Naga, and Bājiè, whose good deeds have always been tempered by his greed, is promoted to an altar cleanser (i.e. eater of excess offerings at altars).
Historical context
The classic story of the Journey to the West was based on real events. In real life, Xuanzang (born c. 602 - 664) was a monk at Jingtu Temple in late-Sui Dynasty and early-Tang Dynasty Chang'an. Motivated by the poor quality of Chinese translations of Buddhist scripture at the time, Xuanzang left Chang'an in 629, despite the border being closed at the time due to war with the Gokturks. Helped by sympathetic Buddhists, he travelled via Gansu and Qinghai to Kumul (Hami), thence following the Tian Shan mountains to Turfan. He then crossed what are today Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan, into Gandhara, reaching India in 630. Xuanzang travelled throughout the Indian subcontinent for the next thirteen years, visiting important Buddhist pilgrimage sites and studying at the ancient university at Nalanda.
Xuanzang left India in 643 and arrived back in Chang'an in 646 to a warm reception by Emperor Taizong of Tang. He joined Da Ci'en Monastery (Monastery of Great Maternal Grace), where he led the building of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in order to store the scriptures and icons he had brought back from India. He recorded his journey in the book Journey to the West in the Great Tang Dynasty. With the support of the Emperor, he established an institute at Yuhua Gong (Palace of the Lustre of Jade) monastery dedicated to translating into Chinese the scriptures he had brought back. His translation and commentary work established him as the founder of the Dharma character school of Buddhism. Xuanzang died on March 7, 664. The Xingjiao Monastery was established in 669 to house his ashes.
Popular stories of Xuánzàng's journey were in existence long before Journey to the West was written. In these versions, dating as far back as Southern Song, a monkey character was already a primary protagonist. Before the Yuan Dynasty and early Ming, elements of the Monkey story were already seen.
Main characters
Tripitaka or Xuánzàng
Xuánzàng (玄奘) (or Táng-Sānzàng (唐三藏), meaning "Táng-dynasty monk" — Sānzàng (三藏) or "Three Baskets", referring to the Tripitaka, was a traditional honorific for a Buddhist monk) is the Buddhist monk who set out to India to retrieve the Buddhist scriptures for China. He is called Tripitaka in many English versions of the story. Although he is helpless when it comes to defending himself, the bodhisattva Guānyīn helps by finding him powerful disciples (Sūn Wùkōng, Zhū Bājiè, and Shā Wùjìng) who aid and protect him on his journey. In return, the disciples will receive enlightenment and forgiveness for their sins once the journey is done. Along the way, they help the local inhabitants by defeating various monsters. The fact that most of the monsters and demons are trying to obtain immortality by eating Xuánzàng's flesh, and are even attracted to him as he is depicted as quite handsome, provides much of the plot in the story.
Monkey King (Emperor of Monkeys) or Sūn Wùkōng
Sūn Wùkōng is the name given to this character by his teacher, Patriarch Subhuti, and means "the one who has Achieved the Perfect Comprehension of the Extinction of both Emptiness and non-Emptiness"; he is called Monkey King or simply Monkey Emperor in English.
He was born out of a rock that had been dormant for ages in Flower Fruit Mountain that was inhabited/weathered by the sun and moon until a monkey sprang forth. He first distinguished himself by bravely entering the Cave of Water Curtains (pinyin:Shuǐlián-dòng) at the Mountains of Flowers and Fruits (Huāguǒ-shān); for this feat, his monkey tribe gave him the title of Měi-hóuwáng ("handsome monkey-king"). Later, he started making trouble in Heaven and defeated an army of 100,000 celestial soldiers, led by the Four Heavenly Kings, Erlang Shen, and Nezha. Eventually, the Jade Emperor appealed to Buddha, who subdued and trapped Wukong under a mountain. He was only saved when Xuanzang came by him on his pilgrimage and accepted him as a disciple.
His primary weapon is the rúyì-jīngū-bàng ("will-following golden-banded staff"), which he can shrink down to the size of a needle and keep behind his ear, as well as expand it to gigantic proportions (hence the "will-following" part of the name). The staff, originally a pillar supporting the undersea palace of the East Sea Dragon King, weighs 13,500 pounds, which he pulled out of its support and swung with ease. The Dragon King, not wanting him to cause any trouble, also gave him a suit of golden armor. These gifts, combined with his devouring of the peaches of immortality and three jars of immortality pills while in Heaven, plus his ordeal in an eight-trigram furnace (which gave him a steel-hard body and fiery golden eyes), makes Wukong the strongest member by far of the pilgrimage. Besides these abilities, he can also pull hairs from his body and blow on them to transform them into whatever he wishes (usually clones of himself to gain a numerical advantage in battle). Although he has mastered seventy-two methods of transformations, it does not mean that he is restricted to seventy-two different forms. He can also do a jīndǒuyún ("cloud somersault"), enabling him to travel vast distances in a single leap. Wukong uses his talents to fight demons and play pranks. However, his behavior is checked by a band placed around his head by Guanyin, which cannot be removed by Wukong himself until the journey's end. Xuanzang can tighten this band by chanting the Tightening-Crown spell (taught to him by Guanyin) whenever he needs to chastise him.
Wukong's child-like playfulness is a huge contrast to his cunning mind. This, coupled with his acrobatic skills, makes him a likeable hero, though not necessarily a good role model. His antics present a lighter side in what proposes to be a long and dangerous trip into the unknown.
Zhū Bājiè
Zhū Bājiè ("Pig of the Eight Prohibitions") is also known as Zhū Wùnéng ("Pig Awakened to Power"), and given the name Pigsy or Pig in English.
Once an immortal who was the Tiānpéng-yuánshuǎi ("Field Marshal Tianpeng") of 100,000 soldiers of the Milky Way, during a celebration of gods, he drank too much and attempted to flirt with Cháng'é, the beautiful moon goddess, resulting in his banishment into the mortal world. He was supposed to be reborn as a human, but ended up in the womb of a sow due to an error at the Reincarnation Wheel, which turned him into a half-man half-pig monster. Staying within Yúnzhan-dòng ("cloud-pathway cave"), he was commissioned by Guanyin to accompany Xuanzang to India and given the new name Zhu Wuneng.
However, Wuneng's desire for women led him to Gao Village, where he posed as a normal being and took a wife. Later, when the villagers discovered that he was a monster, Wuneng hid the girl away. At this point, Xuanzang and Wukong arrived at Gao Village and helped subdue him. Renamed Zhu Bajie by Xuanzang, he consequently joined the pilgrimage to the West.
His weapon of choice is the jiǔchǐdīngpá ("nine-tooth iron rake"). He is also capable of thirty-six transformations (as compared to Wukong's seventy-two), and can travel on clouds, but not as fast as Wukong. However, Bajie is noted for his fighting skills in the water, which he used to combat Sha Wujing, who later joined them on the journey. He is the second strongest member of the team.
Shā Wùjìng
Shā Wùjìng (literally meaning "Sand Awakened to Purity"), given the name Friar Sand or Sandy in English, was once the Curtain Raising General, who stood in attendance by the imperial chariot in the Hall of Miraculous Mist. He was exiled to the mortal world and made to look like a monster because he accidentally smashed a crystal goblet belonging to the Heavenly Queen Mother during the Peach Banquet. The now-hideous immortal took up residence in the Flowing Sands River, terrorizing the surrounding villages and travelers trying to cross the river. However, he was subdued by Sūn Wùkōng and Zhū Bājiè when the Xuānzàng party came across him. They consequently took him in to be a part of the pilgrimage to the West.
Shā Wùjìng's weapon is the yuèyáchǎn ("Crescent-Moon-Shovel" or "Monk's Spade"). Aside from that, he knows eighteen transformations and is highly effective in water combat. He is about as strong as Bājiè, and is much stronger than Wùkōng in water. However, Bājiè can beat Wujing in a test of endurance, and Wùkōng can beat him out of water.
Shā Wùjìng is known to be the most obedient, logical, and polite of the three disciples, and always takes care of his master, seldom engaging in the bickeries of his fellow-disciples. Ever reliable, he carries the luggage for the travellers. Perhaps this is why he is sometimes seen as a minor character; the lack of any particular perks confers the lack of distinguishing and/or redeeming characteristics.
Wùjìng eventually becomes an Arhat at the end of the journey, giving him a higher level of exaltation than Bājiè, who is relegated to cleaning every altar at every Buddhist temple for eternity, but is still lower spiritually than Wùkōng or Xuānzàng who are granted Buddhahood.
List of Demons
There are many demons in the story. They are listed below:
Black-Bear-Demon (pinyin: Hēixióngguài)
Yellow Wind Demon (Huángfēngguài)
Zhen Yuan Holy Man (He is not a demon, but an immortal, who got annoyed by those disciples who stole his precious immortal-fruits (Ginseng Fruits, 人参果).)
White-Bone-Demon (pinyin: Báigǔjīng)
Yellow Robe Demon (pinyin: Huángpáoguài)
Gold-Horn and Silver-Horn (pinyin: Jīnjiǎo and Yínjiǎo)
Red-Boy a.k.a. Holy Baby King (pinyin: Hóng-hái'ér; Japanese: Kōgaiji)
Tiger Power, Deer Power and Goat (or Antelope) Power
Black River Dragon Demon (Hēi Shǔi Hé Yuan Lóng Gài)
Carp Demon (Li Yu Jīng)
Green-Ox-Demon (pinyin: Qīngniújīng)
Scorpion-Demon (pinyin: Xiēzijīng)
Six Ear Monkey Demon (a.k.a Fake Sun Wukong)
Ox-Demon-King (pinyin: Niúmówáng; Japanese: Gyūmaō)
Demon Woman (Luo Cha Nǚ)
Jade-Faced Princess (pinyin: Yùmiàn-gōngzhǔ; Japanese: Gyokumen-kōshū)
Boa Demon (Hong She Jīng)
Nine-Headed Bird Demon (Jiǔ Tou Fu Ma)
Seven-Spider-Demons (pinyin: Zhīzhū-jīng)
Hundred-Eyed Taoist (Bǎi Yan Mo Jun)
Green Lion Demon (pinyin: Qīngshījīng)
White-Elephant-Demon (pinyin: Báixiàngjīng)
Falcon Demon (Sun Jīng)
Biqiu Country Minister a.k.a Deer Demon
Gold-Nosed, White Mouse Demon (Lao Shu Jīng)
Dream-Demon
Media adaptations
Stage
Journey to the West: The Musical: A stage musical which received its world premiere at the New York Musical Theatre Festival on September 25, 2006.
Monkey: Journey to the West: A stage musical version created by Chen Shi-zheng, Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. It premiered as part of the 2007 Manchester International Festival at the Palace Theatre on June 28.
The Monkey King: A production by the Children's Theater Company in Minneapolis, MN in 2005.
Film
Monkey Goes West: The Shaw Brothers' 1966 Hong Kong film (Cantonese: Sau yau gei. Also known as "Monkey with 72 Magic". Directed by Ho Meng-Hua.
Princess Iron Fan (Tie shan gong zhu) a 1966 sequel to Monkey Goes West, adapting two episodes from the novel. Directed by Ho Meng-Hua.
Cave of the Silken Web (1967), the next film in the series. Directed by Ho Meng-Hua.
The Land of Many Perfumes (1968), the fourth film in the Shaw Brothers' series based (increasingly loosely) on Journey to the West. Directed by Ho Meng-Hua.
A Chinese Odyssey by Stephen Chow (1994).
Heavenly Legend: A 1998 film by Tai Seng Entertainment starring Kung Fu kid Sik Siu Loong is partially based on this legend.
A Chinese Tall Story: 2005 live action movie starring Nicholas Tse as Xuánzàng.
The Forbidden Kingdom: 2008 live action movie starring Jackie Chan and Jet Li which is said to be based on the Legend of the Monkey King, the same legend as the TV show Monkey.
Live action television
Monkey (1978-1980): A well-known 1970s Japanese television series based on Journey to the West translated into English by the BBC.
Journey to the West (1986): A TV series produced by CCTV.
Journey to the West (1996): A popular series produced by Hong Kong studio TVB, starring Dicky Cheung.
Journey to the West II (1998): The sequel to TVB's Journey to the West series, starring Benny Chan.
The Monkey King (2001): Sci Fi Channel's TV adaptation of this legend, also called The Lost Empire.
The Monkey King: Quest for the Sutra (2002): A loose adaptation starring Dicky Cheung, who also portrayed Sun Wukong in the 1996 TVB series.
Saiyūki (2006): A Japanese television series starring the SMAP star Shingo Katori.
Comics, manga and anime
Alakazam the Great: One of the first anime films produced by Toei Animation, a retelling of first part of the story based on the characters designed by Osamu Tezuka.
Gensōmaden Saiyūki: manga and anime series inspired by the legend. Follow-up series include Saiyūki Reload and Saiyūki Reload Gunlock.
Patalliro Saiyuki: A shōnen-ai series in both anime and manga formats with the Patalliro! cast playing out the Zaiyuji storyline with a BL twist.
Havoc in Heaven (also known as Uproar in Heaven): Original animation from China.
Iyashite Agerun Saiyūki (Iyashite Agerun Saiyuki, 癒してあげルン 西遊記) : A 2007 adult anime
Monkey Magic: An animated retelling of the legend.
Monkey Typhoon: A manga and anime series based on the Journey to the West saga, following a futuristic steampunk-retelling of the legend.
Starzinger: An animated science fiction version of the story.
The Monkey King: A gruesome manga inspired by the tale.
Works referencing Journey to the West
American Born Chinese: An American graphic novel by Gene Yang. Nominated for the National Book Award (2006).
Doraemon: A special tells the story of Journey To The West casting the Doraemon characters as the characters of the legend.
Dragon Ball: Japanese manga and anime series loosely inspired by Journey to the West.
Eyeshield 21: Three of the players for the Shinryuji Nagas are referred to as the Saiyuki Trio based upon their appearances and personalities.
InuYasha: The characters meet descendants of three of the main characters of the Journey of the West in one episode and main character, Kagome Higurashi, says a few lines about the whole book and story. Also, Inuyasha's necklace, which allows Kagome to punish him at will, is probably based on Sun Wukong's headband.
Kaleido Star: The cast performs Saiyuki on stage a few times in the beginning of the second half of the series.
Love Hina: The characters put on a play based on the story in anime episode 16.
Naruto: Temari, a character from Naruto, is based on Princess Iron Fan from the legend. Enma is a summoned monkey who bears resemblance to Sun Wukong. He has the ability to transform into a staff similar to the rúyì-jīngū-bàng, which can alter its size at will.
Ninja Sentai Kakuranger: The 1994 Super Sentai series, where each of the main characters are inspired by the main characters of Journey to the West
GoGo Sentai Boukenger: The 2006 Super Sentai series, where its final episode involved the Rúyì-jīngū-bàng
Juken Sentai Gekiranger: The 2007 Super Sentai series, where one of its villians fighting style is homeage to Sun Wukong.
Ranma 1/2: Pastiches of the characters appear throughout the manga and movies.
Read or Die (OVA): One of the villains is a clone of Xuanzang, who seems to have the powers of Sun Wukong and Xuanzang.
Sakura Wars: The Imperial Flower Troupe Performs the play of Journey to the West.
Science Fiction Saiyuki Starzinger (SF西遊記スタージンガー, Esu Efu Saiyuki Sutājingā?): 1978-1979 anime of a sci-fi space opera retelling of Journey to the West by Toei Animation.
Shinzo: An anime loosely based on Journey to the West.
XIN: An American comic mini-series produced by Anarchy Studio.
Links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Journey_to_the_West
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_mythology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Chinese_mythology
Chinese classic novels | Epics | Journey to the West | 1590s books
Jiutou Zhiji Jing (九头雉鸡精)
Jiutou Zhiji Jing (九头雉鸡精)
Alternative Names (異名):
九头雉鸡精, Jiǔtóu Zhìjī Jīng, Jiutou Zhiji Jing
Jiutou Zhiji Jing (Chinese: 九头雉鸡精; Pinyin: Jiǔtóu Zhìjī Jīng) is a yaojing changed from a pheasant with nine heads. She is a character featured within the famed ancient Chinese novel Investiture of the Gods.
As like both Pipa Jing and Daji, Zhiji Jing is one of three specters under Nu Wa. In appearance, Zhiji Jing wore a large red robe, a silk sash around her slim waist, and small red linen shoes. She also possessed beautiful eyes like that of an autumn lake. Once Daji headed to the tomb of the Yellow Emperor to retrieve Zhiji Jing - along with her other fox cohorts - Zhiji Jing would be shown for the first time.
Daji had the intent to bring her friends to a banquet disquised as heavenly maidens as to trick the king. Once the true forms of Zhiji Jing and her allies were revealed to Vice Prime Minister Bi Gan, and each specter returned to their original layer, Huang Feihu would set out and turn their home into flames; a resolution that killed every specter except Splendor herself. Following this event, Daji would return to the tomb of the Yellow Emperor and find her sister, Zhiji Jing, the only survivor. However, she would head back to Zhaoge with Daji disguised as an even more beautiful woman. While disguised as a woman, Zhiji Jing would play along with her sister's scheme by spending some personal time with King Zhou. In short time, Zhiji Jing would decide to stay with the king at Zhaoge instead of living in the mountains as previously
Links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiutou_Zhiji_Jing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_mythology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Chinese_mythology
Fengshen Yanyi characters | Chinese mythology
Alternative Names (異名):
九头雉鸡精, Jiǔtóu Zhìjī Jīng, Jiutou Zhiji Jing
Jiutou Zhiji Jing (Chinese: 九头雉鸡精; Pinyin: Jiǔtóu Zhìjī Jīng) is a yaojing changed from a pheasant with nine heads. She is a character featured within the famed ancient Chinese novel Investiture of the Gods.
As like both Pipa Jing and Daji, Zhiji Jing is one of three specters under Nu Wa. In appearance, Zhiji Jing wore a large red robe, a silk sash around her slim waist, and small red linen shoes. She also possessed beautiful eyes like that of an autumn lake. Once Daji headed to the tomb of the Yellow Emperor to retrieve Zhiji Jing - along with her other fox cohorts - Zhiji Jing would be shown for the first time.
Daji had the intent to bring her friends to a banquet disquised as heavenly maidens as to trick the king. Once the true forms of Zhiji Jing and her allies were revealed to Vice Prime Minister Bi Gan, and each specter returned to their original layer, Huang Feihu would set out and turn their home into flames; a resolution that killed every specter except Splendor herself. Following this event, Daji would return to the tomb of the Yellow Emperor and find her sister, Zhiji Jing, the only survivor. However, she would head back to Zhaoge with Daji disguised as an even more beautiful woman. While disguised as a woman, Zhiji Jing would play along with her sister's scheme by spending some personal time with King Zhou. In short time, Zhiji Jing would decide to stay with the king at Zhaoge instead of living in the mountains as previously
Links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiutou_Zhiji_Jing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_mythology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Chinese_mythology
Fengshen Yanyi characters | Chinese mythology
Jin Ping Mei (金瓶梅)
Jin Ping Mei (金瓶梅)
Alternative Names (異名):
金瓶梅, Jin Ping Mei
Jin Ping Mei (Chinese: 金瓶梅; pinyin: Jīn Píngméi; literally "The Plum in the Golden Vase", also translated as The Golden Lotus) is a Chinese naturalistic novel composed in the vernacular (baihua) during the late Ming Dynasty. The author was Lanling Xiaoxiao Sheng, a clear pseudonym. Earliest versions of the novel exist only in handwritten scripts; the first block-printed book was released only in 1610. The more complete version today comprises one hundred chapters.
Jin Ping Mei is sometimes considered to be the fifth classical novel after the Four Great Classical Novels. It is the first full-length Chinese fictional work to depict sexuality in a graphically explicit manner, and as such has a notoriety in China akin to Fanny Hill or Lady Chatterley's Lover in English.
Jin Ping Mei takes its name from the three central female characters — Pan Jin-lian (潘金莲, whose name means "Golden Lotus"); Li Ping-Er (李瓶兒, literally, "Little Vase"), a concubine of Ximen Qing; and Pang Chun-mei (龐春梅, "Spring plum blossoms"), a young maid who rose to power within the family.
Plot
The novel describes, in great detail, the downfall of the Ximen household during the years 1111-1127 (during the Northern Song Dynasty). The story centres around Ximen Qing 西門慶, a corrupt social climber and lustful merchant who is wealthy enough to marry a consort of wives and concubines.
A key episode of the novel, the seduction of the adulterous Pan Jinlian, occurs early in the book and is taken from an episode from Water Margin. After secretly murdering the husband of Pan, Ximen Qing marries her as one of his wives. The story follows the domestic sexual struggles of the women within his clan as they clamour for prestige and influence as the Ximen clan gradually declines in power.
Evaluation
Known for centuries as pornographic material and banned officially most of the time, the book is nevertheless surreptitiously read by many of the educated class. Only since the Qing Dynasty has it been re-evaluated as literature. Structurally taut, full of classical Chinese poetry and surprisingly mature even as early fiction, it also deals with larger sociological issues, such as the role of women in ancient Chinese society, sexual politics, while functioning concurrently as a novel of manners and an allegory of human corruption.
Acclaimed Qing critic Zhang Zhupo described it as 'the most incredible book existing under the heavens'「第一奇書」, and in the 20th century, Lu Xun had ranked it as highly.
The story contains a surprising number of descriptions of sexual toys and coital techniques that would be considered fetish today, as well as a large amount of bawdy jokes and oblique but still titillating sexual euphemisms. Many critics have argued that the highly sexual descriptions are essential, while others have noted its liberating influence on other Chinese novels on matters of sexuality, most notably in the Dream of the Red Chamber.
Little is known about the author except for some conjectures that he may have been a Taoist priest, who wrote to disclose the disintegrating morality and corruption of the late Ming Dynasty.
Connection to Water Margin (Outlaws of the Marsh)
The beginning chapter is based on an episode from "Tiger Slayer" Wu Song from Water Margin. The story is about Wu Song avenging the murder of his older brother Wu Da Lang.
In Water Margin, Ximen Qing was punished at the end by being brutally killed in broad daylight by Wu Song. In Jin Ping Mei, however, Ximen Qing dies a horrible death due to an accidental overdose of aphrodisiac pills.
Links
The Golden Lotus with manhua: http://www.china-on-site.com/pages/comic/comiccatalog7.php
Chinese Online version: http://www.yifan.net/yihe/novels/gold/gold.html
Sample of a chapter from David Tod Roy's translation http://press.princeton.edu/chapters/s7134.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jin_Ping_Mei
http://ctexts.blogspot.com/1972/07/jin-pingmei.html
Chinese classic novels | 1610 books | 17th century books
Alternative Names (異名):
金瓶梅, Jin Ping Mei
Jin Ping Mei (Chinese: 金瓶梅; pinyin: Jīn Píngméi; literally "The Plum in the Golden Vase", also translated as The Golden Lotus) is a Chinese naturalistic novel composed in the vernacular (baihua) during the late Ming Dynasty. The author was Lanling Xiaoxiao Sheng, a clear pseudonym. Earliest versions of the novel exist only in handwritten scripts; the first block-printed book was released only in 1610. The more complete version today comprises one hundred chapters.
Jin Ping Mei is sometimes considered to be the fifth classical novel after the Four Great Classical Novels. It is the first full-length Chinese fictional work to depict sexuality in a graphically explicit manner, and as such has a notoriety in China akin to Fanny Hill or Lady Chatterley's Lover in English.
Jin Ping Mei takes its name from the three central female characters — Pan Jin-lian (潘金莲, whose name means "Golden Lotus"); Li Ping-Er (李瓶兒, literally, "Little Vase"), a concubine of Ximen Qing; and Pang Chun-mei (龐春梅, "Spring plum blossoms"), a young maid who rose to power within the family.
Plot
The novel describes, in great detail, the downfall of the Ximen household during the years 1111-1127 (during the Northern Song Dynasty). The story centres around Ximen Qing 西門慶, a corrupt social climber and lustful merchant who is wealthy enough to marry a consort of wives and concubines.
A key episode of the novel, the seduction of the adulterous Pan Jinlian, occurs early in the book and is taken from an episode from Water Margin. After secretly murdering the husband of Pan, Ximen Qing marries her as one of his wives. The story follows the domestic sexual struggles of the women within his clan as they clamour for prestige and influence as the Ximen clan gradually declines in power.
Evaluation
Known for centuries as pornographic material and banned officially most of the time, the book is nevertheless surreptitiously read by many of the educated class. Only since the Qing Dynasty has it been re-evaluated as literature. Structurally taut, full of classical Chinese poetry and surprisingly mature even as early fiction, it also deals with larger sociological issues, such as the role of women in ancient Chinese society, sexual politics, while functioning concurrently as a novel of manners and an allegory of human corruption.
Acclaimed Qing critic Zhang Zhupo described it as 'the most incredible book existing under the heavens'「第一奇書」, and in the 20th century, Lu Xun had ranked it as highly.
The story contains a surprising number of descriptions of sexual toys and coital techniques that would be considered fetish today, as well as a large amount of bawdy jokes and oblique but still titillating sexual euphemisms. Many critics have argued that the highly sexual descriptions are essential, while others have noted its liberating influence on other Chinese novels on matters of sexuality, most notably in the Dream of the Red Chamber.
Little is known about the author except for some conjectures that he may have been a Taoist priest, who wrote to disclose the disintegrating morality and corruption of the late Ming Dynasty.
Connection to Water Margin (Outlaws of the Marsh)
The beginning chapter is based on an episode from "Tiger Slayer" Wu Song from Water Margin. The story is about Wu Song avenging the murder of his older brother Wu Da Lang.
In Water Margin, Ximen Qing was punished at the end by being brutally killed in broad daylight by Wu Song. In Jin Ping Mei, however, Ximen Qing dies a horrible death due to an accidental overdose of aphrodisiac pills.
Links
The Golden Lotus with manhua: http://www.china-on-site.com/pages/comic/comiccatalog7.php
Chinese Online version: http://www.yifan.net/yihe/novels/gold/gold.html
Sample of a chapter from David Tod Roy's translation http://press.princeton.edu/chapters/s7134.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jin_Ping_Mei
http://ctexts.blogspot.com/1972/07/jin-pingmei.html
Chinese classic novels | 1610 books | 17th century books
Fengshen Yanyi (封神演義)
Fengshen Yanyi (封神演義)
Alternative Names (異名):
封神演義, 封神演义, fēngshén yǎnyì, Fengshen Yanyi, The Investiture of the Gods, The Creation of the Gods
Fengshen Yanyi (traditional Chinese: 封神演義; simplified Chinese: 封神演义; pinyin: fēngshén yǎnyì) (translated as The Investiture of the Gods or The Creation of the Gods), also known as Fengshen Bang (Chinese: 封神榜), is one of the major Vernacular Chinese novels written in the Ming Dynasty. The story deals with the decline of the Shang Dynasty and rise of the Zhou Dynasty, intertwining numerous elements of Chinese mythology, including gods and goddesses, Chinese immortals, and spirits. It is, to an extent, representative and descriptive of life in China at the time, where religion played a major role in everyday life. The authorship of Fengshen Yanyi is attributed to Xu Zhonglin (許仲琳; 许仲琳) (d. 1566) or Lu Xixing (陸西星; 陆西星) (d. 1601).
Plot summary
This epic novel (Yanyi refers to the Chinese equivalent of the Western epic) is a fantastic retelling of the overthrow of unscrupulous and merciless ruler Di Xin (also known as Zhòu) of the Shang dynasty by King Wu of Zhou. The story integrates oral and written tales of the many Daoist heroes and immortals, and various spirits (usually represented in avatar form as foxes, chickens, and sometimes even inanimate objects like Jade Pipa) that take part in the struggle. Enchanted by his concubine Daji, who is actually a fox spirit in disguise, Di Xin murders loyal ministers with draconian punishments like incineration on a red-hot pillar of brass or being fed to a pit of snakes. He even attempts to kill his own sons. After the fall of the Shang Dynasty and exorcism of Daji by Jiang Ziya, King Wu of Zhou builds his own dynasty, creating the Zhou feudal system. The slain heroes, even those on the "enemy" side, are endowed with heavenly ranking, being essentially elevated to the position of gods, hence the title.
Some famous anecdotes
In Fengshen Yanyi, there are many stories (altogether 100 stories) in which many gods, goddesses and immortals came to the Earth and changed the fate of everything with their magical power. Here are some famous ones:
Some famous anecdotes
When Di Xin came to a temple of Nüwa, an ancient Chinese goddess, and perform his worship, he noticed that the Nüwa statue was very tempting. Then the lewd emperor cried indecent words like “it would be good if I could marry Her” before the statue, and wrote lustful poems on the walls to show his immense adoration likewise. Nüwa got furious with the insult. Foretelling that Di Xin would be the last emperor of the Shang Dynasty, she sent a one-thousand-year-old fox spirit, a nine-headed pheasant, and a jade-made Pipa spirit to lure Di Xin and render him unaware of his people, which indirectly resulted in the uprising of Zhou and made the decline of Shang more reasonable.
Daji was a kind-hearted beauty originally, and was ordered to enter the palace to be Di Xin’s concubine. The wicked fox spirit murdered Daji on the way to the palace, embodying the exact same appearance of the killed girl and attending the palace’s invitation.
Daji and Bo Yi Kao
Di Xin obliged King Wen of Zhou to stay in You (that is, today’s Henan) for almost seven years, during which King Wen of Zhou’s eldest son, Bo Yi Kao, came to the capital of Shang, Zhaoge (today’s Hebi, Henan) and ask for Di Xin’s mercy. The fox spirit fell in love with the handsome young man, and requested Di Xin to permit Bo to teach her play guqin. Taking advantage of the guqin lessons, Daji ensnared Bo with her splendour. Bo, however, refused Daji for any liaisons, and called her a shameless woman. The irate Daji made a complaint to her husband that Bo had bullied her. Gnashing his teeth, Di Xin killed Bo and minced him into paste, cooked into congee and served to King Wen of Zhou. King Wen of Zhou knew divination, and, by means of the Eight Diagrams, he realised the congee was made from his beloved son. Suppressing the great pain and sadness in his heart, King Wen of Zhou ate up the congee and determined to avenge his dead son.
King Wen of Zhou and Jiang Ziya
Jiang Ziya (or Jiang Taigong, also known as Lu Shang) was an apprentice of an immortal living deep inside an unvisited mountain, and he left his master at the age of 72. He loved fishing, but, strangely enough, he only used a straight fishhook, without bait, three feet above the water, for angling. His neighbours felt odd at his strange fishing skills, and, out of curiosity, asked the old man for the reason of it. “What I’m angling is not a single fish,” smiled Jiang, “but the emperor and the great many vassals. Only those who really wish to be fished would be finally fished by me.” Jiang meant he was waiting for a man who could recognise and need his talent.
Some people told King Wen of Zhou about the weird old man, and the aggressive vassal had a looming interest in Jiang Ziya. One day, King Wen of Zhou paid a visit to Jiang. Jiang did nothing but demanded King Wen of Zhou to help him pull his cart. King Wen of Zhou did so and stopped pulling after he moved eight hundred steps forwards. Jiang told the vassal that his future kingdom (that is, the Zhou Dynasty) should exist for eight hundred years. King Wen of Zhou wished to pull the cart for more few steps, but he was too exhausted to move forwards. Jiang became the prime minister of Zhou afterward. King Wen was succeeded by King Wu.
Bi Gan lost his heart
From the prophecy revealed by the oracle bones, Jiang Ziya predicted that Di Xin’s loyal and benevolent courtier, Bi Gan would die soon, thereby giving a charm to Bi. Before long, Daji, the evil vixen told her husband that she had a heart attack and only a “delicate seven-aperture heart” (Qiqiao Linglong Xin) could relieve her agony. No-one in the palace had that kind of heart — except Bi, who was given a heart by the goddess Nüwa, when he drowned once during his childhood. Bi, loyal as he is, swallowed the charm given by Jiang, grabbed his heart and pulled it out of his body to be given to Di Xin. Bi did not lose his life, nor shed a single drop of blood. Instead, he walked out of the palace and did what Jiang instructed: go straight home immediately without looking back. If he succeeded in doing this, he would recover after one day.
Yet upon the last few steps on reaching home, a female huckster yelled from behind Bi, “Hey! Cheap cabbages without stems (xin)!” (i.e., Baoxin Cai, literally a vegetable with a stem covered inside; xin, heart, rhetorically refers to the stem in this case).
Bi, curious and unsuspicious, turned back and asked the huckster, “How can there be cabbages without stems? ” The old lady donned an evil grin and replied, “You’re right, sir. Cabbages cannot live without stems as men cannot live without hearts (xin).” Bi shouted in his loud voice, fell to the ground and died without knowing that the lady hawker was a disguise made by the jade-made Pipa spirit. Thus, Jiang who was able to foretell Bi’s death, could not prevent the tragedy from happening.
In modern culture
The novel has maintained a strong presence in modern Chinese culture. It has also been the adapted into Japanese popular culture, though almost always in heavily modified form, sometimes leaving almost no trace of the original. It has been the subject of numerous television series and video games, including several recently translated for the Western Market, such as Battle Houshin (houshin is the Japanese reading of Fengshen) and Fengshen Yanyi: Legends of Gods and Heroes. It has also been substantially adapted for the manga Hoshin Engi. The most marked and lasting effect, though, is the use of the name - as Fengshen Bang - as a term in modern Chinese meaning "hit list" (as in a top 10 list or similar, such as music charts). Fengshen Bang (封神榜) is also the name of a modern Chinese TV series based on the Fengshen Yanyi, starring Fan Bingbing as Daji, Ma Jingtao as King Zhou of Shang
See also
Chinese mythology
Religion in China
Zhou Dynasty
Shang Dynasty
Welkin Lords
Links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fengshen_Yanyi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_mythology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Chinese_mythology
Fengshen Yanyi | Chinese novels | Taoism | Chinese classic novels
Alternative Names (異名):
封神演義, 封神演义, fēngshén yǎnyì, Fengshen Yanyi, The Investiture of the Gods, The Creation of the Gods
Fengshen Yanyi (traditional Chinese: 封神演義; simplified Chinese: 封神演义; pinyin: fēngshén yǎnyì) (translated as The Investiture of the Gods or The Creation of the Gods), also known as Fengshen Bang (Chinese: 封神榜), is one of the major Vernacular Chinese novels written in the Ming Dynasty. The story deals with the decline of the Shang Dynasty and rise of the Zhou Dynasty, intertwining numerous elements of Chinese mythology, including gods and goddesses, Chinese immortals, and spirits. It is, to an extent, representative and descriptive of life in China at the time, where religion played a major role in everyday life. The authorship of Fengshen Yanyi is attributed to Xu Zhonglin (許仲琳; 许仲琳) (d. 1566) or Lu Xixing (陸西星; 陆西星) (d. 1601).
Plot summary
This epic novel (Yanyi refers to the Chinese equivalent of the Western epic) is a fantastic retelling of the overthrow of unscrupulous and merciless ruler Di Xin (also known as Zhòu) of the Shang dynasty by King Wu of Zhou. The story integrates oral and written tales of the many Daoist heroes and immortals, and various spirits (usually represented in avatar form as foxes, chickens, and sometimes even inanimate objects like Jade Pipa) that take part in the struggle. Enchanted by his concubine Daji, who is actually a fox spirit in disguise, Di Xin murders loyal ministers with draconian punishments like incineration on a red-hot pillar of brass or being fed to a pit of snakes. He even attempts to kill his own sons. After the fall of the Shang Dynasty and exorcism of Daji by Jiang Ziya, King Wu of Zhou builds his own dynasty, creating the Zhou feudal system. The slain heroes, even those on the "enemy" side, are endowed with heavenly ranking, being essentially elevated to the position of gods, hence the title.
Some famous anecdotes
In Fengshen Yanyi, there are many stories (altogether 100 stories) in which many gods, goddesses and immortals came to the Earth and changed the fate of everything with their magical power. Here are some famous ones:
Some famous anecdotes
When Di Xin came to a temple of Nüwa, an ancient Chinese goddess, and perform his worship, he noticed that the Nüwa statue was very tempting. Then the lewd emperor cried indecent words like “it would be good if I could marry Her” before the statue, and wrote lustful poems on the walls to show his immense adoration likewise. Nüwa got furious with the insult. Foretelling that Di Xin would be the last emperor of the Shang Dynasty, she sent a one-thousand-year-old fox spirit, a nine-headed pheasant, and a jade-made Pipa spirit to lure Di Xin and render him unaware of his people, which indirectly resulted in the uprising of Zhou and made the decline of Shang more reasonable.
Daji was a kind-hearted beauty originally, and was ordered to enter the palace to be Di Xin’s concubine. The wicked fox spirit murdered Daji on the way to the palace, embodying the exact same appearance of the killed girl and attending the palace’s invitation.
Daji and Bo Yi Kao
Di Xin obliged King Wen of Zhou to stay in You (that is, today’s Henan) for almost seven years, during which King Wen of Zhou’s eldest son, Bo Yi Kao, came to the capital of Shang, Zhaoge (today’s Hebi, Henan) and ask for Di Xin’s mercy. The fox spirit fell in love with the handsome young man, and requested Di Xin to permit Bo to teach her play guqin. Taking advantage of the guqin lessons, Daji ensnared Bo with her splendour. Bo, however, refused Daji for any liaisons, and called her a shameless woman. The irate Daji made a complaint to her husband that Bo had bullied her. Gnashing his teeth, Di Xin killed Bo and minced him into paste, cooked into congee and served to King Wen of Zhou. King Wen of Zhou knew divination, and, by means of the Eight Diagrams, he realised the congee was made from his beloved son. Suppressing the great pain and sadness in his heart, King Wen of Zhou ate up the congee and determined to avenge his dead son.
King Wen of Zhou and Jiang Ziya
Jiang Ziya (or Jiang Taigong, also known as Lu Shang) was an apprentice of an immortal living deep inside an unvisited mountain, and he left his master at the age of 72. He loved fishing, but, strangely enough, he only used a straight fishhook, without bait, three feet above the water, for angling. His neighbours felt odd at his strange fishing skills, and, out of curiosity, asked the old man for the reason of it. “What I’m angling is not a single fish,” smiled Jiang, “but the emperor and the great many vassals. Only those who really wish to be fished would be finally fished by me.” Jiang meant he was waiting for a man who could recognise and need his talent.
Some people told King Wen of Zhou about the weird old man, and the aggressive vassal had a looming interest in Jiang Ziya. One day, King Wen of Zhou paid a visit to Jiang. Jiang did nothing but demanded King Wen of Zhou to help him pull his cart. King Wen of Zhou did so and stopped pulling after he moved eight hundred steps forwards. Jiang told the vassal that his future kingdom (that is, the Zhou Dynasty) should exist for eight hundred years. King Wen of Zhou wished to pull the cart for more few steps, but he was too exhausted to move forwards. Jiang became the prime minister of Zhou afterward. King Wen was succeeded by King Wu.
Bi Gan lost his heart
From the prophecy revealed by the oracle bones, Jiang Ziya predicted that Di Xin’s loyal and benevolent courtier, Bi Gan would die soon, thereby giving a charm to Bi. Before long, Daji, the evil vixen told her husband that she had a heart attack and only a “delicate seven-aperture heart” (Qiqiao Linglong Xin) could relieve her agony. No-one in the palace had that kind of heart — except Bi, who was given a heart by the goddess Nüwa, when he drowned once during his childhood. Bi, loyal as he is, swallowed the charm given by Jiang, grabbed his heart and pulled it out of his body to be given to Di Xin. Bi did not lose his life, nor shed a single drop of blood. Instead, he walked out of the palace and did what Jiang instructed: go straight home immediately without looking back. If he succeeded in doing this, he would recover after one day.
Yet upon the last few steps on reaching home, a female huckster yelled from behind Bi, “Hey! Cheap cabbages without stems (xin)!” (i.e., Baoxin Cai, literally a vegetable with a stem covered inside; xin, heart, rhetorically refers to the stem in this case).
Bi, curious and unsuspicious, turned back and asked the huckster, “How can there be cabbages without stems? ” The old lady donned an evil grin and replied, “You’re right, sir. Cabbages cannot live without stems as men cannot live without hearts (xin).” Bi shouted in his loud voice, fell to the ground and died without knowing that the lady hawker was a disguise made by the jade-made Pipa spirit. Thus, Jiang who was able to foretell Bi’s death, could not prevent the tragedy from happening.
In modern culture
The novel has maintained a strong presence in modern Chinese culture. It has also been the adapted into Japanese popular culture, though almost always in heavily modified form, sometimes leaving almost no trace of the original. It has been the subject of numerous television series and video games, including several recently translated for the Western Market, such as Battle Houshin (houshin is the Japanese reading of Fengshen) and Fengshen Yanyi: Legends of Gods and Heroes. It has also been substantially adapted for the manga Hoshin Engi. The most marked and lasting effect, though, is the use of the name - as Fengshen Bang - as a term in modern Chinese meaning "hit list" (as in a top 10 list or similar, such as music charts). Fengshen Bang (封神榜) is also the name of a modern Chinese TV series based on the Fengshen Yanyi, starring Fan Bingbing as Daji, Ma Jingtao as King Zhou of Shang
See also
Chinese mythology
Religion in China
Zhou Dynasty
Shang Dynasty
Welkin Lords
Links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fengshen_Yanyi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_mythology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Chinese_mythology
Fengshen Yanyi | Chinese novels | Taoism | Chinese classic novels
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