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If there is one Chinese literary work that has captured the imagination of generations across East Asia and beyond, it is Journey to the West (Xiyou Ji). Written in the 16th century during China’s Ming Dynasty by Wu Cheng’en, this magnum opus is more than just a novel – it is a cultural icon,…
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The pursuit of Daoist cultivation is a recurring theme in classical Chinese literature. For instance, Journey to the West’s Sun Wukong voyages to the Spirit Terrace, Square-Inch Mountain seeking immortality from Patriarch Subodhi (Subhuti).
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At the Heavenly River(Heaven-Reaching River), the ancient turtle entrusted Tang Monk to ask Tathagata when it could “shed its shell and attain human form,” but Tang Monk ultimately failed/forgot to inquire.