Monkey King Sun Wu Kong——Journey to the West
This podcast retells the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, focusing on the adventures of the Monkey King Sun Wukong. It features clear storytelling, cultural notes, and the timeless humor of the Monkey King. New episodes are released every weekend.
Episodes
30.Was Journey to the West actually written as a story about the human world?
If you ask an average Western reader, they might say it is because the book has flying monkeys, demons who can turn into beautiful women, and magical bottles that can hold the entire sky. It sounds a bit like an Eastern version of The Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter, full of magic and adventure. But if you only read it as a fantasy story, then you are probably only seeing the surface of the book
29.Who is the most hidden character in the Journey to the West?
Among Tang Monk's three disciples, Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie always stand out, while Sha Wujing seems to be the one most easily overlooked. When you think back on the whole journey to the West, Sun Wukong's image is all about incredible powers and daring to rebel. Zhu Bajie's image is all about loving food, being a bit lazy, and having a funny, charming personality. But what about Sha Wujing? For m
28.Who is Tang Sanzang liked the most?
Today’s question is this: why do some people say that Juu Baa Jyeh was actually the disciple Tang Sanzang liked the most?
Now I know a lot of you might disagree right away. After all, throughout the entire journey to the West, Sun Wukong was clearly the main fighter. Every single time Tang Sanzang was captured by demons, it was Sun Wukong who risked his life, who battled fiercely, who ran around c
27.Why do people love Sun Wukong?
In Journey to the West, there are countless powerful gods and immortals，
Each member of the four person team is capable and extraordinary，
So why is it that only Sun Wukong became a world level hero?
26.Journey to the West——Scripture without characters
The two honored ones obeyed.
They served the four an immortal meal.
Afterward, they led them to receive the scriptures.
Ananda smiled and asked.
“What gift have you brought from so far away?”
Tang San Zang replied that he had none.
The scriptures were given anyway.
Juu Baa Jyeh and Sha Seng carried them.
The four bowed again to the Buddha and joyfully descended the mountain.
25.Journey to the West——Authentic or fake scriptures
Tang San Zhang, Sun Wu Kong, Juu Baa Jyeh, and Sha Seng returned to the main road.
As they traveled, they slowly realized that this place was truly different.
They had entered the land of the Buddha.
It was nothing like the places they had passed before.
Here, the people practiced kindness in every home.
Every household willingly offered food to monks.
No one avoided them and no one looked down on
24.Journey to the West——The Subduing of the Jade Rabbit Spirit
A royal wedding hides a dangerous secret.
When a princess is revealed to be a disguised demon, Sun Wukong steps in to uncover the truth.
A chase across heaven and earth follows, raising one question—can the real princess be saved before it is too late?
23.Journey to the West——Kingdom of Tianzhu
The king of the Kingdom of Tianzhu usually loved mountains rivers and flowers.
Two years ago.
The king took his consorts and the princess.
Together they enjoyed the moon and flowers in the imperial garden.
On that very day.
A monster arrived.
While no one was paying attention.
The monster kidnapped the real princess.
Then changed herself into the princess’s appearance.
22.Journey to the West——The Nine-Headed Lion Demon
The blacksmith had been rushing his work for several days.
He hammered iron during the day.
He kept the furnace burning at night.
He had not rested properly for many days in a row.
21.Journey to the West——The Prayer for Rain in Fengxian County
The cabinet was locked and they could not open it right away.
Several thieves leaned in and discussed it.
This cabinet is so heavy.
There must be valuable stuff inside.
Let us lead the horse away and carry the cabinet outside the city.
Out there we can open it slowly.
Then we split the silver.
20.Journey to the West——Bottomless Pit
Sunn Wuh-kong immediately told the monks to prepare vegetarian food.
The monks became very busy, washing rice, cooking, making flatbread, steaming buns, and preparing soup.
In no time, four or five tables of food were set out.
Before long, a gust of wind rose.
As the wind blew, it carried a wave of fragrance.
Sunn Wuh-kong looked up and saw a very beautiful woman walking over.
The woman walked up
19.Journey to the West——Bhikkhu Land
After hearing it Ruu-lye Fwo-tzu did not get angry but instead smiled slightly and said.Those three demons have great powers and you truly could not handle them alone.
This time I will go myself.Ruu-lye Fwo-tzu took Manjushri Bodhisattva and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva and headed toward Lion Camel Kingdom together.Ruu-lye Fwo-tzu said to Sunn Wuh-kong.
You go outside the city first and challenge the
18.Journey to the West—— Lion Camel Ridge
After escaping danger, the four master and disciples continued westward.Not long after, they encountered another infamous mountain, the Eight Hundred Li Lion Camel Ridge.In the mountain lived three great demon kings, with more than forty seven thousand little demons under them, all living by eating humans.
While Sunn Wuh-kong was gathering information, he met a mountain patrol demon.
17.Journey to the West—— The Cave of the Silken Web
Sunn Wuh-kong flew all the way, rushing across the sky, until he finally landed on a tall mountain.
He put away his somersault cloud and got ready to search for the demon’s cave.
Just as he was looking around, he saw a little demon coming down the path.
This little demon carried a yellow flag, had a scroll of documents on his back,
and was walking while knocking a small brass gong, muttering to
16.Journey to the West——Capturing Demons at Bibotan
In the clearing stood an old, broken temple.
Sunn Wuh-kong took one look and said, “This place is wrong. Something is off here.”
Before he even finished speaking, a gust of gloomy wind blew by.
An old man who claimed to be “the Local Land of this place” came out with a ghost servant behind him, a blue-faced, red-bearded fellow with his upper body bare, carrying a plate of steaming hot steamed bu
15.Journey to the West—— Tang Sanzang sweeps the pagoda
Tung Sahn-zung said:
“I planned to enter the palace to exchange the travel documents. But since we have encountered these monks, I cannot ignore them. Besides, when I departed from the Fa-men Temple in Chang’an, I made a vow: on the road to the Western Heaven, whenever I see a monastery, I must burn incense; and whenever I see a pagoda, I must sweep it. Since we are here, I should take a look.Sunn
14.Journey to the West——The Mountain of Flames
Lingji Bodhisattva took out a small silk pouch from his sleeve.
He then took out the Wind-Fixing Pill from the pouch and carefully tucked it inside Sunn Wuh-kong’s collar.
The Bodhisattva was worried that Sunn Wuh-kong might be careless, or that the pill might fall out.
So he took a needle and thread and sewed the collar tightly, stitching the silk pouch firmly inside.
13.Journey to the West——The Two Monkey Kings
Tung Sahn-zung was riding alone on the White Dragon Horse, slowly moving forward along the mountain road.
As soon as that gong stopped echoing, more than thirty men suddenly rushed out from the grass on both sides of the road and from behind the dirt slopes.
They surrounded Tung Sahn-zung in an instant, blocked his way, and shouted at him in a noisy chorus,
“Hand over your money! Hand over your
12.Journey to the West——The Kingdom of Women
That river was called the River of Sons and Mothers.
If a woman drank the water, she would carry a male fetus.
If a man drank the water, he would carry a female fetus.
Anyone who drank the river water would show “symptoms of pregnancy.”
Tung Sahn-zung was so anxious that sweat poured down his face.
“Wuh-kong, Wuh-kong! Save me !”
11.Journey to the West——Tang Sanzang encounters a demon
The White Dragon Horse didn’t dare take a single step forward.
Tung Sahn-zung asked where the river came from.
Juu Baa Jyeh took a look and said the river must be at least ten li wide—crossing it wouldn’t be easy.
While they were still talking, a small wooden boat drifted down from upstream.
A boatman rowed it to shore and warmly shouted that he could ferry them across.
10.Journey to the West——The True and False Kings
After the evening meal, the officer also arranged people to tidy three meditation rooms and let them rest. Everyone left. Tung Sahn-zung told his disciples to sleep first. He himself wanted to recite scriptures a while longer.
Tung Sahn-zung recited until the third watch of the night, then closed the scroll. He had just gone to sleep when he suddenly heard a sound outside the door, and a gust of
9.Journey to the West——Gold and Silver Monster
As soon as Sunn Wuh-kong heard him mention the Bodhisattva of Compassion, his heart softened. He said, “Fine, I won’t hit you first. Speak clearly. Tell the truth—where is Tung Sahn-zung in danger now?”
Hearing the question, Juu Baa Jyeh told everything that happened after Sunn Wuh-kong left.
When Sunn Wuh-kong finished listening, he was furious. “You really are a fool! When I left, I told you tha
8.Journey to the West——The White Bone Demon
“She’s not human, Master—she’s a demon here to harm you!”
Tung San-zang said, “A monk should be compassionate. You can’t just hit and kill. How can we fetch scriptures like this? Go back.”
Wuh-kong kowtowed and pleaded. Tung Sahn-zung finally relented: “Fine. I’ll spare you this time. But you may not raise your hand again.”
7.Journey to the West——The First Test
It was getting dark. Tung Sahn-zung, together with Sunn Wuh-kong, Juu Baa Jyeh, and Sha Seng, kept walking on the road. As they went, they saw, in the distance, a pine forest with a few houses inside.
“There’s a manor over there. Let’s go and ask to stay for the night.”
6.Journey to the West——Finally Gathered
The Bodhisattva was shocked and scolded: “Sun Wu-kong! How can you kill someone so casually?”
Sun Wu-kong replied: “Bodhisattva, that wasn’t an ordinary Daoist. He was a friend of the Black Bear Demon.”
The Bodhisattva looked closer and saw the Daoist’s true form—a gray wolf. On the bottom of the plate were four engraved characters: Made by Lingxu.
When Sunn Wuh-kong saw these words, his eyes lit
5.Journey to the West——The Robe Turmoil
Tang Sanzang traveled on with his first disciple, Sun Wuh-kong.
One day, they came to a winding mountain called She-pan Mountain. At the base of the mountain was a deep and rushing stream, known as Eagle Sorrow Ravine.
Suddenly, with a great splash, a huge scaled dragon burst out of the water and opened its jaws to seize Tung Sahn-zung.
4.Journey to the West——Tripitaka
In Chinese folk religion and Taoism, the afterlife is not a single paradise or hell, but a vast, complex bureaucratic empire. This is the "Diyu" ， which translates to "Earth Prison" or "Underworld Court." Think of it not just as a place of punishment, but as a massive soul-processing center, a cosmic government office where every soul's life is judged, and its next destination is decided.
3.Journey to the West—— who is Er-long Shen?
Yee Hwung Dah-dee sent many warriors to fight Sunn Wuh-kong, including Nuh-zha, Li Jing, and the Four Heavenly Kings. Do you still remember what they were like? But even though Yee Hwung Dah-dee dispatched one hundred thousand heavenly soldiers, none of them could defeat Sunn Wuh-kong. At this moment, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, who had come to attend the Peach Banquet, told Yee Hwung Dah-dee t
2.Journey to the West—— Havoc in Heaven
Inside the Hall of Miraculous Mist, the Yee Hwung Dah-dee sat in bright light, surrounded by civil and military officials. Suddenly, heavenly soldiers came to report: the Dragon King Ao Guang from the East Sea, and King Qin Guang from the underworld, had arrived with complaints.
The Yee Hwung Dah-dee said:
“Bring me the petitions.”
After reading them, he replied:
“Let the Dragon King and the und
1. Journey to the West——Birth of the Stone Monkey
Journey to the West is an ancient Chinese epic packed with gods, demons, and magic. It tells the story of the Tang monk, Tung Sahn-zung, who goes on a pilgrimage to the West. He’s protected by three disciples—Sunn Wuh-kong, Juu Baa Jyeh, and Sha Seng. Together, they battle demons and monsters, survive eighty-one trials, and finally bring back the sacred scriptures.
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