The real history behind the legend of Sun Wukong, China's Monkey King

Sun Wukong, a monkey with human characteristics and abilities, is one of the best loved and most enduring characters in Chinese literature. Armed with a staff and extraordinary abilities, Sun Wukong, aka The Monkey King, comes from the 16th-century classic Journey to the West.

In the centuries since his literary debut, Sun Wukong has been the subject of movies, TV shows, and games across both the East and the West. Most recently, his story inspired the video game Black Myth: Wukong, introducing new audiences to the beloved character.   

The seed of Sun Wukong’s story lies in a real-life pilgrimage 

The story of Sun Wukong begins with history, not myth. In 629, Xuanzang, a Buddhist monk in China, began a 16-year, 10,000-mile journey to track down holy text in India. Xuanzang’s account of his journey, Records of the Western Regions, became so ingrained in the Chinese imagination that they served as the basis for the novel Journey to the West, which first appeared in print in the 1590s.

The novel, attributed to writer Wu Cheng'en, fictionalizes Xuanzang’s journey, transforming the historical figure into the fictional monk Tang Sanzang. He is joined by three mythical helpers who protect him on his pilgrimage, including a monkey called Sun Wukong.

Birth of the Monkey King

Scholars can’t say for certain where the character of Sun Wukong came from, but Journey to the West likely borrowed from existing myths and legends. Some possible sources of inspiration for the character include Wuzhiqi, an ape-like figure in Chinese mythology, and Hanuman, a Hindu god with a monkey’s face.

Despite unresolved questions about the character’s roots, there is no ambiguity surrounding Sun Wukong’s origin story in Journey to the West: A stone gives birth to an egg, which transforms into Sun Wukong. He likely appears as a macaque, a kind of monkey that lives throughout Asia.

He soon earns the title “Monkey King” through a daring act of courage. While living with fellow monkeys on Flower Fruit Mountain, they stumble on a waterfall. Sun Wukong volunteers to jump across the stream of water to see what is on the other side. He discovers a cave, and the monkeys reward his bravery by naming him their king.

Legends Mythology