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.
Ghostly Preferences in the Underworld
The novel reveals that ghosts in the underworld enjoy consuming fruits and vegetables. For instance, Wei Zheng, a mortal official, regularly sends offerings of produce—not gold, silver, or material goods—to his deceased friend Judge Cui Jue, an underworld magistrate.
Notably, the underworld kings particularly crave pumpkins, despite pumpkins not being native to the hellish realm.
“When I return to the World of Light,” said Taizong, bowing again to thank them, “I have very little that I can present you as a token of my gratitude. Perhaps I can send you some melons or other kinds of fruit?” Delighted, the Ten Kings said, “We have eastern and western melons here, but we lack southern melons.” “The moment I get back,” said Taizong, “I shall send you some.” They bowed to each other with hands folded, and parted.
— Journey to the West, Chapter 10
Note: Eastern melon is actually winter melon, or white gourd, the name here being a pun since east and winter (dong) are homonyms. Western and southern melons are watermelons and pumpkins, respectively.
Historical Context: The Pumpkin’s Late Arrival in China
According to Li Shizhen’s Compendium of Materia Medica, pumpkins were introduced to China from abroad during the late Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty (mid-16th century)—coinciding with the period when Journey to the West was finalized as a novel.
By the late Ming, pumpkins were still rare and considered exotic luxuries; many people had only heard of them but never seen one.
Authorial Anachronism and Cultural Commentary
The Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE), the novel’s historical setting, predates the arrival of pumpkins in China by centuries. Thus, scenes where Emperor Taizong of Tang gifts pumpkins to the Ten Underworld Kings are deliberate anachronisms.
The author, Wu Cheng’en, infused contemporary Ming-era elements into the story, reflecting the cultural and agricultural realities of his own time. This anachronism also helps scholars date the novel’s final composition to the late Ming period.
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