CCTV: Journey to the West
2007-01-20
English Title: Journey to the West
Chinese Title: 西 遊 記
Vietnamese Title: Tây Du Ký
Year: 1982-1988 by the Central China TV
The casts:
Liu Xiao Ling Tong -- Sun Wukong (Tôn Ngộ Không )
Shaohua -- Tripitaka ( Đường Tam Tạng )
Ma De Hua -- Pigsy ( Trư Bát Giới )
Yan Huat Li -- Sand Monk ( Xa Tăng )
Series Summary:
Journey to the West is an action, fantasy movies about San Zang and his journey to India, the sacred land of Buddhism. On his way he met a Monkey King, who used to wreac havoc in heaven, a pig named Pigsy, Sand Monk, and the 3rd prince of the eastern sea. These 4 before they meet San Zang all commit some sort of crime.
Monkey King was born out of a rock. He learned 72 magical transformation. With just one somersault he could go far as 108,000 miles. His weapon is a golden cudgel, which he used to fight demons with. Because he is so powerful that the Jade Emperor (kind of like the version of Zeus) thought he could just gave the Monkey King a job in heaven, to tame him. Once Monkey King learned that his so called job is not a great job. He is in charge of the heaven stable, guarding the horses, the lowest job in heaven. To him, that is insulting. So to make him happy, the Jade Emperor gave him a job with the title "The great sage equal to heaven". That sound awesome isn't it? Well our little Monkey King soon found out that it is just a title with no real power. So he decided to wreac havoc in heaven. He wanted to be the next Jade Emperor. No one could defeat Monkey King. Well... until the Supreme Buddha show up. He bet with Monkey King that if Monkey King could get out of his hand then he will hand the throne to Monkey King. To fly out of Buddha's hand is so easy right? Our little Monkey King thought that he could actually do it. He fly through hundreds and thousands of galaxies, to what seem to be the end of space. Then he saw 5 pillars that seem to support heaven. So he decided to prove to the Buddha that he has been here, he sign his name on one of the pillar and mark his territory too (like how dogs does it) . After that he went back to the Buddha. He stand on Buddha's giant hand. The Buddha tell Monkey King to look behind him. Monkey King look and there written on Buddha's forefinger was Monkey King name. Monkey King refuses to believe it, claiming it was some sort of magic. The Buddha tells him to smell the finger. So Monkey King goes closer to it and well... you guess it, there was Monkey King's trademark :) . Monkey King has lost. Buddha trapped Monkey King under a mountain with a curse written on it, so the powerful Monkey King can't used his magical power to get out. Monkey King lay trapped there for 500 years. San Zang came and lifted the curse and from then on Monkey King will goes with San Zang to India to get the Buddhist scriptures.
Another person that travel with San Zang and Monkey King to India is Pigsy. Pigsy used to be a general in heaven. During a party, he drank too much wine. He flirted with a fairy called Chang 'O who lived on the moon. Heaven has a strict law against love. No god or fairy can fall in love or has anything to do with romance. The Jade Emperor see this and sent him to earth as a punishment. Through many reincarnation Pigsy accidently reincarnated as a pig. Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy fell sorry for him and ask him to go on a journey with San Zang and in return he wont have to reincarnated anymore. Pigsy agree.
The third person that went along the journey is the Sand Monk. He used to be a small general in heaven. One day he accidently knocks off a lamp that belong to the Jade Empress. He was send down to earth and live under the sea as a punishment. When he met San Zang and the others, he wanted to go along the journey too. Kuan Yin promise that if he safely get San Zang to India his punishment will be lifted and he can go back to heaven.
The fourth one is a prince of the eastern sea. He was a prince there until his wedding night, when he found out his wife cheated on him. He was so mad and he knocks off a crystal ball. So he was banned from his home and forced to live on some other sea. When San Zang went by the prince eat San Zang's horse. Kuan Yin appear again and promise that his punishment is forgiven if he agree to go with San Zang. Since he had eaten the horse, Kuan Yin transformed him into a horse so San Zang can ride on.
On their journey they encounter many demons. Demons like the white bone demon, who is just a walking skeleton that wanted eat San Zang in order to become a human. The Red Kid who can spit out fireball. There are also 7 beautiful spider ladies who wanted to marry San Zang. There is also a demon with hundred of eyes. They have to defeat all these demons and many more in order to get the scripture/sutra from the Supreme Buddha in India.
They began to make this series in 1982. Around 1986, was the first time they show the first 11 episodes. They finish the series in February of 1988. This series has 25 episodes. The summary of each episodes are describe below.
1) The birth of Monkey King
2) Monkey King in charge of the heaven horses
3) Monkey King causing chaos in the heaven palace
4) The capture of Monkey King in the Wu Hang Mountain
5) Monkey King travels with San Zang
6) Disaster in Kuan Yin Temple
7) Getting Ba Jie with strategy
8) Facing 3 adversities during the rough journey
9) Stealing the Ginseng fruit
10) Beating the White Bone Demon 3 times
11) Stimulating the Monkey King wisely
12) Seizing treasures in Lotus Flower Cave
13) Killing the devils in the Wuji country
14) Battle with the Red Child
15) Defeating the 3 monsters with magic
16) The funny advantage in the women country
17) Getting the Palm-leaf Fan for Three Times
18) Cleaning the tower and clarifying the injustice
19) Getting in the Little Thunder Temple accidentally
20) Doctor Monkey King 
21) Falling in the Spider Silk Cave accidentally
22) Visiting the abyss for 4 times
23) Teaching in Yu hua continent
24) Getting the rabbit spirit in India
25) Arriving to the Pure Land
This series is the first chinese series I've watch. I saw this series everyday on TV when I was in Vietnam. It got me really hook on it. This series is the best one ever made. If you haven't watch this yet, you should definitely watch it. This movie is so awesome. It is a great family movie, for people of all ages. I give this series 2 thumbs up. But the sad thing about this is, it hasn't been translated into English yet.
But if you really are interested in the story, why not try to read the English version book? You can buy them at Amazon.
- Journey to the West volume 1
- Journey to the West volume 2
- Journey to the West volume 3
- Journey to the West volume 4
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