[Journey to the West]What does “Wukong” mean in Chinese?

The Monkey King was named Wukong (悟空) by his first master. What does “Wukong” signify?

In Chinese tradition, the Monkey King is the tenth-generation disciple of Master Subhuti. Each generation is assigned a specific character for names, and the tenth generation uses the character Wu (悟), meaning “to awaken,” “to comprehend,” or “spiritual enlightenment.” The second character, Kong (空), originates from the Sanskrit term śūnyatā (emptiness or voidness), a core Buddhist concept.

• Wu (悟): Symbolizes awakening to truth, breaking free from ignorance, and achieving spiritual clarity.
• Kong (空): Represents the Buddhist doctrine of “emptiness”—not literal nothingness, but the absence of inherent, fixed essence in all phenomena. Everything is interdependent, impermanent, and devoid of permanent substance. By embracing this truth, practitioners relinquish delusions, attachments, and suffering, cultivating peace amid life’s transience.

Historical Context

In Tang Dynasty China, a monk named Wukong (secular name: Che Fengchao) became the last recorded monk in Tang annals to travel westward to India for Buddhist scriptures. Like Xuanzang (Tang Sanzang), he dedicated his life to retrieving sacred texts, translating sutras, spreading Buddhism, and fostering cultural exchange between China and other regions.

Symbolism in Buddhism

The Patriarch Subodhi (Master Subhuti) in Journey to the West is actually a historical figure in Buddhism. He was one of the Buddha’s Ten Great Disciples, renowned for his “eternal serenity, profound understanding of emptiness (śūnyatā), and devotion to transcendent tranquility,” earning him the title ‌Foremost in Comprehending Emptiness‌.

This also explains why he would be the master of Wukong and whom gave Monkey King his Dharma name in Journey to the West

Why “Wukong”?

The name encapsulates Buddhist ideals: awakening to emptiness (悟 + 空) as a path to liberation. For the Monkey King, it foreshadows his journey from a rebellious, ego-driven figure to one who gradually grasps the nature of reality and achieves spiritual maturity. The historical monk Wukong’s legacy further ties the name to perseverance, devotion, and cross-cultural bridging—themes central to Journey to the West.

About his surname

The name, surname and titles of the Monkey King hold profound symbolic meanings. Check out Why is the Monkey King surnamed Sun here?