The real history behind the legend of Sun Wukong, China's Monkey King

Sun Wukong, a monkey with human characteristics and abilities, is one of the best loved and most enduring characters in Chinese literature. Armed with a staff and extraordinary abilities, Sun Wukong, aka The Monkey King, comes from the 16th-century classic Journey to the West.

In the centuries since his literary debut, Sun Wukong has been the subject of movies, TV shows, and games across both the East and the West. Most recently, his story inspired the video game Black Myth: Wukong, introducing new audiences to the beloved character.   

The seed of Sun Wukong’s story lies in a real-life pilgrimage 

The story of Sun Wukong begins with history, not myth. In 629, Xuanzang, a Buddhist monk in China, began a 16-year, 10,000-mile journey to track down holy texts in India. Xuanzang’s account of his journey, Records of the Western Regions, became so ingrained in the Chinese imagination that they served as the basis for the novel Journey to the West, which first appeared in print in the 1590s.

The novel, attributed to writer Wu Cheng'en, fictionalizes Xuanzang’s journey, transforming the historical figure into the fictional monk Tang Sanzang. He is joined by three mythical helpers who protect him on his pilgrimage, including a monkey called Sun Wukong.

Birth of the Monkey King

Scholars can’t say for certain where the character of Sun Wukong came from, but Journey to the West likely borrowed from existing myths and legends. Some possible sources of inspiration for the character include Wuzhiqi, an ape-like figure in Chinese mythology, and Hanuman, a Hindu god with a monkey’s face.

Despite unresolved questions about the character’s roots, there is no ambiguity surrounding Sun Wukong’s origin story in Journey to the West: A stone gives birth to an egg, which transforms into Sun Wukong. He likely appears as a macaque, a kind of monkey that lives throughout Asia.

He soon earns the title “Monkey King” through a daring act of courage. While living with fellow monkeys on Flower Fruit Mountain, they stumble on a waterfall. Sun Wukong volunteers to jump across the stream of water to see what is on the other side. He discovers a cave, and the monkeys reward his bravery by naming him their king.

 Sun Wukong has superhuman abilities and plays by his own rules

Sun Wukong possesses extraordinary powers. Among them: 72 Transformations, which enable him to shape-shift. Space is no obstacle for him, and one story recounts how he travels thousands of miles with a single somersault.

Journey to the West also extols Sun Wukong’s martial skills, aided by his strength, staff, and ability to fly.

Sun Wukong embodies many of the characteristics people associate with monkeys, including mischievousness. As a trickster figure, he shares attributes with other fixtures of myth and legend, such as Loki, Reynard, and Brer Rabbit.

The Monkey King bristles against authority, and he is troubled by the fact that there is one thing he’ll never be able to conquer: death. So he sets out to gain immortality, spending years wandering the world in search of it. 

His journey to find immortality takes him all the way to heaven, the realm of the Jade Emperor. The Monkey King gets into all manner of mischief there, including sneaking into forbidden parts of the palace. In another incident, he gorges on special peaches and spoils a royal banquet.

Sun Wukong even proclaims himself the Jade Emperor’s equal. The Jade Emperor seeks help from the Buddha to punish him, and so he imprisons the Monkey King in a mountain. He remains incarcerated there for 500 years, until an unexpected opportunity for redemption arises.

Sun Wukong’s great journey 

When Tang Sanzang begins his travels in Journey to the West, he comes across Sun Wukong, still imprisoned in the mountain. The monkey agrees to protect him on his pilgrimage so that he can win his freedom. 

On the road, Sun Wukong proves to be a formidable bodyguard for the monk as demons and spirits pursue the travelers. Some of them hope to prevent Tang Sanzang from collecting the holy texts; others believe they can become immortal by consuming the monk’s body. None of these villains are successful, thanks to Sun Wukong’s powers. In thanks for this, Sun Wukong is elevated to become an honorary Buddha.

Though Journey to the West was technically about Tang Sanzang’s pilgrimage, readers embraced Sun Wukong, and he became the most popular character in the novel.

Sun Wukong spent parts of Journey to the West searching for immortality, and he eventually found it in the real world: in literature and pop culture. In this rich afterlife, Sun Wukong has inspired films, plays, television series, video games, and comic books, ensuring that this enduring character will continue to embark on new adventures with future generations.