Adventures from China: Monkey King

Born from a stone on Spring Mountain and given the title of the Handsome Monkey King, Sun Wu Kong is the main character of Monkey King (The Journey to the West), which is regarded as one of China’s greatest novels.

It is evident from the start of the story that Sun Wu Kong is very conceited. He seeks to learn the secret of eternal life, but uses the teachings of Master Puti to wreak havoc in various worlds, traveling by cloud and wielding a powerful miracle staff to intimidate other rulers and declare himself “the Emperor of Heaven.” He is finally stopped by Buddha, who locks him away on Five-Finger Mountain for five hundred years. Upon his release, Sun Wu Kong departs for India in search of the Buddhist scriptures. During the journey he learns patience and a sense of responsibility, defeating the monsters that block his path before becoming one of Buddha’s fighters.

(Source: monkeykingbychen.tumblr.com)