People (February 2004)

Happy Chinese New Year! The year of 2004 is the year of monkey. Therefore, we are introducing the Monkey King, Sun Wukong this month. The Monkey King perhaps is the most famous and beloved fictional character in all of Chinese classic literature. Chinese children grow up with stories of Monkey King-Sun Wukong ("Wukong" means aware of emptiness in Chinese), and his image is everywhere in Chinese drama. He is the protagonist of Journey to the West, one of the four famous Chinese classic novels. The book describes the adventures of Tang monk Xuanzang (aka Sanzang) and his three disciples (Sun Wukong, Sha Wujing and Zhu Bajie) on their mission to the Western Heavens to find and bring back Buddhist scriptures. The Monkey King is the bravest, smartest, and toughest among the three disciples.

Born from a stone that is the essence of Heaven and Earth, Sun Wukong is unbound by the constraints of temporal human relationships. Neither impressed not intimidated by order, ritual or hierarchy, he causes series of mess in Heaven controlled by Jade Emporer, the Dragon King's Palace in ocean, and Hell. His refusal to collude with evil forces makes him a hero and embodiment of righteousness in the eyes of the Chinese people.

Sun Wukong's punishment for causing havoc in Heaven is imprisonment under a mountain where he remains for 500 years. He is liberated in return for guaranteeing Xuanzang's safe passage to the West. Sun Wukong defeats all manner of ghosts and demons along the way to the Western Heavens. The Monkey King symbolizes the worldly desire for the ideal human life that is free from constraint.

The following pictures were drawn by Jennifer Chai (5-year-old, daughter of Jun Li and Changyong Chai).

1. Monkey King

2. Zhu Bajie (one of the three disciples of Tang Xuanzang).

3. Sha Wujing (one of the three disciples of Tang Xuanzang).

4. Tang Xuanzang