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In the novel Journey to the West, the origin story of Tang Sanzang (the Monk Tang) is a dramatic tale of love, violence, revenge, and ambition.
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Over the past two months, we have explored the Chinese classic Journey to the West. Though a mythological narrative, it is rooted in historical events.
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The scripture-seeking team arrives at the Gold-Dispensing Monastery(also translated as the Gold-Spreading Monastery) in the Kingdom of Sravasti, where they encounter Centipede Mountain(Hundred-Legs Mountain) and Rooster’s Crow Pass(Cock-Crow Pass).
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In ancient China, people often sent goods and wealth to deceased relatives by burning paper effigies and offerings—a practice rooted in the belief that material possessions could be transferred to the afterlife.
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In ancient Chinese mythology, plants and flowers can cultivate spiritual awareness over centuries, transforming into demons or immortals. Journey to the West features such beings, notably in Chapter 64, where tree spirits—including the Apricot Immortal—play pivotal roles.
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In Chapter 9 of Journey to the West, significant space is devoted to a philosophical exchange between a fisherman named Zhang Shao and a woodcutter named Li Ding.
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In Journey to the West, gods and demons wield immense supernatural powers, while mortals are typically portrayed as frail and vulnerable. Yet, there are rare exceptions—figures like Liu Boqin, Wei Zheng, and Yuan Shoucheng.
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In Western Halloween traditions, pumpkins are carved into lanterns to ward off wandering spirits, symbolizing a fear or aversion to ghosts. Yet in Journey to the West, Chinese ghosts and underworld kings are depicted as fond of pumpkins—a curious contrast.