Journey to the West
The novel Journey to the West is one of the Four Great Classics. It is also recognized as the first epic-length novel in ancient Chinese literature that features gods, demons, and a strong element of romanticism. The novel was written by Wu Cheng'en (c. 1500-c. 1582) in the mid-16th century during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
It is a literary work that draws upon the story of Xuan-zang's pilgrimage to get Buddhist scriptures, as well as earlier works from the Song and Yuan dynasties (960-1368). The book tells the epic tale of Tang Sanzang, a Buddhist monk, and his three disciples: Sun Wukong (The Monkey King), Zhu Bajie (Piggy), and Sha Wujing (Sandy), as they embark on a perilous journey to the west. Along the way they face a series of challenges, battle demons and monsters, and endure eighty-one tribulations. Their ultimate goal is to meet the Buddha and be given the sacred scriptures, which they achieve after much hardship and struggle.
Journey to the West reflects the ideological convergence of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism in China. It blends the celestial beings of Taoism's heavenly palace, underworld, and ocean with Buddhism's Western Paradise, and critiques the real world through the stories of gods and monsters, while prais- ing the bravery and free spirit of Sun Wukong. The book also expresses the ancient theme of promoting good and punishing evil. The characters of Sun Wukong, Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie,and Sha Wujing, as well as the stories of "The Monkey King Wreaks Havoc in Heaven", "The Three Battles with the White-Boned Demon", and "The Three Borrowings of the Palm-Leaf Fan" are well-known to readers. For centuries, Journey to the West has been adapted into various works such as local operas, movies, TV series, animated films, and comics that have been widely circulated in many countries and regions around the world.
《西游记》
《西游记》是中国古典小说四大名著之一，也是中国古代第一部长篇神魔小说，富有浪漫主义色彩。《西游记》成书于16世纪明朝中叶，作者是吴承恩（约1500—约1582）。
《西游记》在宋、元以来关于玄奘取经的故事和有关作品基础上创作而成。书中主要讲述了唐三藏与孙悟空、猪八戒和沙和尚师徒四人前往西天取经，一路上历经艰险，降妖除魔，经历了九九八十一难，终于见到如来佛祖，取回真经、修成正果的故事。
《西游记》系统地反映了中国儒、释、道三教合流的思想体系，将道教的天宫、地狱和海洋的神仙体系与佛教的西天糅合到一起，并借神魔故事批判现实世界，歌颂了孙悟空自由勇敢的精神，表现了惩恶扬善的古老主题。书中孙悟空、唐三藏、猪八戒、沙和尚等人物形象，“大闹天宫”“三打白骨精”“三借芭蕉扇”等故事家喻户晓。几百年来，《西游记》被改编成地方戏曲、电影、电视剧、动画片、漫画等各类作品，在世界许多国家和地区广泛流传。
