Huangji Jingshi and Journey to the West

Authored by Shao Yong (Shao Kangjie) during the Northern Song Dynasty, Huangji Jingshi (The Supreme Principles Governing the World) is a seminal work of Chinese philosophy. It employs Yijing (Book of Changes) principles to explore the universe’s origins, natural evolution, and historical societal transformations. Rooted in the He-Tu and Luo-Shu numerological traditions and Xiang-Shu (“image-number”) cosmology, the text profoundly influenced ancient Chinese philosophy, science, and culture—including Journey to the West.

Philosophical Impact on Journey to the West

While Huangji Jingshi does not directly shape the novel’s plot or characters, its cosmological and metaphysical frameworks permeate the story’s symbolic and philosophical layers.

At the outset of Journey to the West, the author introduces a cosmological worldview deeply rooted in ancient Chinese philosophy, primarily drawing from Shao Yong and his seminal work Huangji Jingshi (Supreme Principles Governing the World).

We heard that, in the order of Heaven and Earth, a single period consisted of 129,600 years. Dividing this period into twelve epochs were the twelve stems of Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, Yu, Xu, and Hai, with each epoch having 10,800 years….. At this point, Heaven and Earth were bright and fair; the yin had intercourse with the yang. In another 5,400 years, during the Yin epoch, humans, beasts, and fowls came into being, and thus the so-called three forces of Heaven, Earth, and Man were established. Hence it is said, man was born at Yin.

— Journey to the West, Chapter 1

• This mirrors Shao Yong’s concept of cosmic cycles, where time unfolds in grand, repeating epochs.
• The creation of the heaven and earth, the birth of Wukong(Stone Monkey), even birth of all phenomena reflect the interplay of yin and yang energies and Huangji Jingshi’s emphasis on natural forces shaping existence.

Huangji Jingshi’s imprint on Journey to the West is subtle yet profound. By embedding Shao Yong’s cosmological principles into its mythic narrative, the novel elevates a fantastical pilgrimage into a metaphysical allegory of universal order, human destiny, and spiritual transcendence.