Originally published anonymously in the 1590s during the Ming Dynasty, and even though no direct evidence of its authorship survives, it is traditionally ascribed to the scholar Wú Chéng'ēn.

The work is also known as Monkey from the title of a popular, abridged translation by Arthur Waley.

The novel is a fictionalized account of the legends around the Buddhist monk Xuánzàng's pilgrimage to India during the Táng dynasty in order to obtain Buddhist religious texts called sutras. The Bodhisattva Guānyīn, on instruction from the Buddha, gives this task to the monk and his three protectors in the form of disciples — namely Sūn Wùkōng, Zhū Bājiè and Shā Wùjìng — together with a dragon prince who acts as Xuánzàng's horse mount. These four characters have agreed to help Xuánzàng as an atonement for past sins. The pilgrims undergo eighty-one calamities of all sorts before bringing the sutras back to the Chinese capital of Cháng'ān (present-day Xī'ān).

Some scholars propose that the book is a work of satire on the effeteness of the Chinese government at the time. Journey to the West has a strong background in Chinese folk religion, Chinese mythology and value systems. In particular, the pantheon of Taoist and Buddhist deities is still reflective of many Chinese folk religious beliefs today.

Part of the novel's enduring popularity comes from the fact that it works on multiple levels: it is a first-rate adventure story, a dispenser of spiritual insight, and an extended allegory in which the group of pilgrims journeying toward India stands for the individual journeying toward enlightenment. It also has much comedy, poetry and word play.

	Author

Wu Cheng En 吴承恩（(AC1506 - AC1582) is official known as the author.

	Synopsis

The novel comprises 100 chapters.

The opening chapters of the novel recount the earlier exploits of Sūn Wùkōng, a monkey born from stone who learns the art of fighting and secrets of immortality, and through guile and force makes a name for himself as the Qítiān Dàshèng or "Equal of Heaven, Great Sage". His powers grow to match the forces of all of the Eastern (Taoist) deities, and the prologue culminates in Sūn's rebellion against Heaven. Hubris proves his downfall when the Buddha manages to trap him under a mountain for five hundred years using only his hand.

Dismayed that "the land of the South knows only greed, hedonism, promiscuity, and sins" the Buddha instructs the Bodhisattva Guānyīn, the Goddess of Mercy to search Táng China for someone to take the Buddhist sutras of "transcendence and persuasion for good will" back to the East. Part of the story here also relates to how Xuánzàng becomes a monk (as well as revealing his past life as the Golden Cicada, most famous and accomplished disciple of Buddha) and comes about being sent on this pilgrimage by the Táng emperor Lĭ ShìMín, who previously escaped death with the help of an underworld official. He finds four willing disciples for the monk along the way, who agree to help Xuánzàng in order to atone for their sins in their past lives and achieve transcendence from the mortal realm (a common Buddhist theme).

* The monkey king Sūn Wùkōng or Monkey, previously "Great Sage Equal to Heaven", banished to the mortal realm for rebelling against the Heavens.
* The pig-monster Zhū Bājiè sometimes translated as Pigsy, or Pig, was previously Tīan Péng commander of the Heavenly Naval forces, banished to the mortal realm for attempting to seduce the Princess of the Moon Chang'e ().
* The river-monster Shā Wùjìng also translated as Friar Sand or Sandy, was previously Great General who Folds the Curtain, banished to the mortal realm for dropping (and shattering) of the crystal goblet of the Heavenly Queen Mother.
* The third prince of the Dragon-King, Yùlóng Sāntàizǐ was sentenced to death for setting fire to his father's great pearl. He was saved by Guānyīn from execution to stay and wait for his call of duty. He was later turned into a horse for Xuánzàng, as a normal horse could not withstand the dangers of the journey.

Throughout the journey, these four brave travelers have to fend off attacks on their master and teacher Xuánzàng from various monsters (spirits of the Earth who through meditation and training gained vast powers) and heavenly spirits (who tired of heaven and came down to the mortal realm to amuse themselves). Most attack the pilgrims in search of immortality (which is attainable by eating the flesh of the holy monk, "an individual who has honed his virtues for ten generations"), whilst others want to hinder the pilgrimage or want to marry Xuanzhang. Most succeed in taking Xuánzàng at first, but all are defeated, usually by Sūn Wùkōng, who rescues Xuánzàng before he is harmed.

It is strongly suggested that most of these calamities are engineered by fate and/or the Buddha, as, while the monsters who attack are vast in power and many in number, no real harm ever comes to the four travelers. Indeed, towards the end of the book there is a scene where the Buddha literally commands the fulfillment of the last disaster, because Xuánzàng is one short of the eighty-one disasters he needs to attain Buddhahood.

The pilgrimage takes an arduous fourteen years to complete, after which each traveler is promoted to higher posts in the bureaucracy of the heavens, with Sūn Wùkōng and Xuánzàng achieving Buddhahood, Bājiè was promoted to an altar cleaner, and Wùjìng is promoted to arhat status. The dragon was made a "heavenly dragon of the Eight Classes of Being."

	List of Demons

There are many demons in the story. Below is a list of the demons:

* Black Bear Demon (Hei Xiong Guai)
* Yellow Wind Demon (Huang Fung Guai)
* Zhen Yuan Holy Man
* White Bone Demon (Bai Gu Jing)
* Yellow Robe Demon (Huang Pao Guai)
* Gold Horn and Silver Horn (Jin Jiao & Yin Jiao)
* Red Boy a.k.a Holy Baby King (Hong Hai Er)
* Tiger Power, Deer Power and Goat (or Antelope) Power
* Black River DRagon Demon (Hei Shui He Yuan Long Guai)
* Carp Demon (Li Yu Jing)
* Green Ox Demon (Qing Niu Jing)
* Scorpion Demon (Xie Zi Jing)
* Six Ear Monkey Demon a.k.a Fake Sun Wukong
* Ox Demon King (Niu Mo Wang)
* Demon Woman (Luo Cha Nu)
* Jade-Faced Princess (Yu Mian Gong Zhu)
* Boa Demon (Hong She Jing)
* Nine-Headed Worm Demon (Jiu Tou Fu Ma)
* Seven Spider Demons (Zhi Zhu Jing)
* Hundred-Eyed Taoist (Bai Yan Mo Jun)
* Green Lion Demon (Qing Shi Jing)
* White Elephant Demon (Bai Xiang Jing)
* Falcon Demon (Peng Jing)
* Bikku Country Minister a.k.a Deer Demon
* Gold-Nosed, White Mouse Demon (Lao Shu Jing)

	Historical context

The classic tale of the Journey to the West was based on real events.

The real journey to the west took place during the Tang Dynasty. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Xī'ān, Shǎnxī Province, China, was both the starting and ending point of this epic journey. The statue of Xuánzàng can be seen near the right of this panorama. Xuánzàng reached India after he experienced innumerable trials and hardships, of course without the help of the mighty disciples of the novel. Xuánzàng then lived in India for more than a decade, studying at Nalanda University and learning classics of Buddhism and Indian culture. Later he returned to China, bringing with him copies of many classic Buddhism texts, which contributed significantly to the promotion of Buddhism in China.

Fictionalized stories of Xuánzàng's journey were in existence long before Journey to the West was written. In these versions, dating as far back as Southern Song, a monkey character was already a primary protagonist. It is believed that these legends began forming from Xuánzàng's accounts of Hanuman, the Hindu monkey god from the ancient Ramayana epic. During the Yuan Dynasty and early Ming, elements of the Monkey legend can already be seen.

	Main characters

Tripitaka or Xuánzàng

Xuánzàng (or Táng-Sānzàng, meaning "Táng-dynasty monk" — Sānzàng or "Three Baskets", referring to the Tripitaka, was a traditional honorific for a Buddhist monk) is the Buddhist monk who set out to India to retrieve the Buddhist scriptures for China. He is called Tripitaka in many English versions of the story. Although he is helpless when it comes to defending himself, the bodhisattva Guānyīn helps by finding him powerful disciples (Sūn Wùkōng, Zhū Bājiè, and Shā Wùjìng) who aid and protect him on his journey. In return, the disciples will receive enlightenment and forgiveness for their sins once the journey is done. Along the way, they help the local inhabitants by defeating various monsters. The fact that most of the monsters and demons are trying to obtain immortality by eating Xuánzàng provides much of the plot in the story.

Monkey or Sūn Wùkōng

Sūn Wùkōng is the name given to this character by his teacher, Patriarch Subodhi, and means "the one who has Achieved the Perfect Comprehension of the Extinction of both Emptiness and non-Emptiness"; he is called Monkey King or simply Monkey in English.

He was born a monkey, out of a rock in that had been dormant for ages in Bloom Mountains. He first distinguished himself by bravely entering the Shuǐlián-dòng ("water-curtain cave" or "waterfall cave") at Huāguǒ-shān ("flower-fruit mountain"); for this feat, his monkey tribe gave him the title of Měi-hóuwáng ("handsome monkey-king"). Later, he started making trouble in Heaven and defeated an army of 100,000 celestial soldiers, led by the Four Heavenly Kings, Erlang Shen, and Nezha. Eventually, the Jade Emperor appealed to Buddha, who subdued and trapped Wukong under a mountain. He was only saved when Xuanzang came by him on his pilgrimage and accepted him as a disciple.

His primary weapon is the rúyì-jīngū-bàng ("will-following golden-banded staff"), which he can shrink down to the size of a needle and keep behind his ear, as well as expand it to gigantic proportions (hence the "will-following" part of the name). The staff, originally a pillar supporting the undersea palace of the East Sea Dragon King, weighs 13,500 pounds, which he pulled out of its support and swung with ease. The Dragon King, not wanting him to cause any trouble, also gave him a suit of golden armor. These gifts, combined with his devouring of the peaches of immortality and three jars of immortality pills while in Heaven, plus his ordeal in an eight-trigram furnace (which gave him a steel-hard body and fiery golden eyes), makes Wukong the strongest member by far of the pilgrimage. Besides these abilities, he can also pull hairs from his body and blow on them to transform them into whatever he wishes (usually clones of himself to gain a numerical advantage in battle). Although he has mastered seventy-two methods of transformations, it does not mean that he is restricted to seventy-two different forms. He can also do a jīndǒuyún ("cloud somersault"), enabling him to travel vast distances in a single leap. Wukong uses his talents to fight demons and play pranks. However, his behavior is checked by a band placed around his head by Guanyin, which cannot be removed by Wukong himself until the journey's end. Xuanzang can tighten this band by chanting the Tightening-Crown spell (taught to him by Guanyin) whenever he needs to chastise him.

Wukong's child-like playfulness is a huge contrast to his cunning mind. This, coupled with his acrobatic skills, makes him a likeable hero, though not necessarily a good role model. His antics present a lighter side in what proposes to be a long and dangerous trip into the unknown.

Pigsy or Zhū Bājiè

Zhū Bājiè ("Pig of the Eight Prohibitions") is also known as Zhū Wùnéng ("Pig Awakened to Power"), and given the name Pigsy or Pig in English.

Once a mortal who studied under an immortal and entered Heaven, he became Tiānpéng-yuánshuǎi ("Field Marshal Tianpeng") of 80,000 soldiers of the Heavenly River (Milky Way). However, during a celebration of gods, he drank too much and attempted to flirt with Cháng'é, the beautiful moon goddess, resulting in his punishment of being sent down into the mortal world. He was supposed to be reborn as a human, but ended up in the womb of a sow due to an error at the Reincarnation Wheel, which turned Tianpeng into a half-man half-pig monster known as Zhū-gāngliè (the "steel-maned pig"). Staying within Yúnzhan-dòng ("cloud-pathway cave") and only leaving to capture humans to eat, he was commissioned by Guanyin to accompany Xuanzang to India and given the new name Zhu Wuneng.

However, Wuneng's desire for women led him to Gao Village, where he posed as a normal being and took a wife. Later, when the villagers discovered that he was a monster, Wuneng hid the girl away. At this point, Xuanzang and Wukong arrived at Gao Village and helped subdue him. Renamed Zhu Bajie by Xuanzang, he consequently joined the pilgrimage to the West.

His weapon of choice is the jiǔchǐdīngpá ("nine-tooth iron rake"). He is also capable of thirty-six transformations (as compared to Wukong's seventy-two), and can travel on clouds, but not as fast as Wukong. However, Bajie is noted for his fighting skills in the water, which he used to combat Sha Wujing, who later joined them on the journey.

Sandy or Shā Wùjìng

Shā Wùjìng (literally meaning "Sand Awakened to Purity"), given the name Friar Sand or Sandy (a rather feminine name) in English, was once the Curtain Raising General, who stood in attendance by the imperial chariot in the Hall of Miraculous Mist. He was exiled to the mortal world and made to look like a monster because he accidentally smashed a crystal goblet belonging to the Heavenly Queen Mother during the Peach Banquet. The now-hideous immortal took up residence in the Flowing Sands River, terrorizing the surrounding villages and travelers trying to cross the river. However, he was subdued by Sūn Wùkōng and Zhū Bājiè when the Sānzàng party came across him. They consequently took him in to be a part of the pilgrimage to the West.

Shā Wùjìng's weapon is the yuèyáchǎn ("Crescent-Moon-Shovel" or "Monk's Spade"). Aside from that, he knows eighteen transformations and is highly effective in water combat, but is agreed upon as the weakest of the three disciples.

Shā Wùjìng is an ill-fitting character, in the sense that most of the great dialogue within the book leaves him out. The narrative usually revolves around Sūn Wùkōng, Zhū Bājiè, and Sānzàng, leaving Shā Wùjìng as a spare tire. However, Shā Wùjìng is known to be the most obedient, logical, and polite of the three disciples, and always takes care of his master. Perhaps this is why he is such a minor character; the lack of any particular perks confers the lack of distinguishing and/or redeeming characteristics.

	Notable English-language translations

* Monkey: A Folk-Tale of China (1942), an abridged translation by Arthur Waley. For many years, the best translation available in English; it only translates thirty out of the hundred chapters. (Penguin reprint ISBN 0-14-044111-5)
* Journey to the West, a complete translation by W.J.F. Jenner published by the Foreign Languages Press in Beijing 1955 (three volumes; 1982/1984 edition: ISBN 0-8351-1003-6, ISBN 0-8351-1193-8, ISBN 0-8351-1364-7)
* The Journey to the West (1977-1983), a complete translation in four volumes by Anthony C. Yu.
University of Chicago Press: HC ISBN 0-226-97145-7, ISBN 0-226-97146-5, ISBN 0-226-97147-3, ISBN 0-226-97148-1; PB ISBN 0-226-97150-3, ISBN 0-226-97151-1; ISBN 0-226-97153-8; ISBN 0-226-97154-6.