King over the other Animals

Dec 10th

Posted by admin in Monkey Powers

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Japanese Print inspired by Sun Wukong's Adventures

Japanese Print inspired by Sun Wukong's Adventures

Given his enormous power and magical abilities, Sun Wukong quickly became a hero to many animals both out of fear and respect. They would bow low when greeting him and follow his commands, not that there were many because Sun Wukong really didn’t know what to do with his time. Often, he would just fly about on clouds, crossing seas and mountains to display his skills and perform magic tricks to delight crowds.

THE BROTHERHOOD
In his travels, he became friends with many and six in particular became his sworn brothers. Just like a mafia, Sun Wukong would meet with his brothers- the heads of the other animals regularly just to chat, sing, dance, eat and make merry. The members of Sun Wukong’s pledged brotherhood included: Strong Buffalo, Hydra, the bird Roc, King of Lions, King of Maggots, and King of Wolves. Although they are all called “demons” in the book, they are not demons in the sense that Western society perceives them because they also try to do good but prefer to get away with what they can.

Click here to find the discourse on why the term “demons” is a misnomer.

A 1961-64 Shanghai Animation

Dec 9th

Posted by admin in Films/TV on Sun Wukong

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First, turn down the volume as the piercingly high Chinese music can be extremely grating to the ears. After you’ve done that, click on play and feast your eyes on some amazing animation made by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio (上海美术电影制片厂) during the golden age of Chinese animation in the 1960′s.

Aside from the fact that it is beautifully illustrated, there is a lot of clever and innovative use of the setting such as the monkeys opening the “wave curtain” with their staffs as they receive Sun Wukong who has returned after obtaining more suitable weapons for his monkeys so they can defend themselves when he isn’t around.

Golden Monkeys in Sichuan

Dec 8th

Posted by admin in Real Places in China

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Photo by David Blank taken in Tanjiahe National Nature Reserve, Sichuan, China

Photo by David Blank taken in Tanjiahe National Nature Reserve, Sichuan, China

The inspiration for many of the drawings of Sun Wukong by Chinese artists most likely come from the Golden snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) which live in Central China’s forests. The species can be found in the Sichuan, Gansu, Hubei and Shaanxi provinces but mainly around the edges of the Sichuan Basin.

They live together as families but will band together with others in troops, forming anywhere from 20 (wintertime) to 200 (summertime) monkeys. The older the males get, the brighter their hues of orange become. Preferring to eat lichens which live off of dead plants, they like to make their homes where there are many dead trees. They can withstand very cold temperatures and spend most of their time up in the forest canopy which unfortunately is reducing every year.

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