Journey to the West is a Chinese television series adapted from the classic 16th-century novel of the same title. The first 11 episodes of the series were first broadcast on CCTV in China on 1 October 1986. The series became an instant classic in China and was praised for being one of the most original and faithful interpretations. The series was budgeted for 30 episodes, due to budgetairy reasons, five of the planned episodes were left out. The screenplay for these left out episodes was rewritten and lengthened. Also some more portions of the original novel were covered in the second season, which was released in 1999. CCTV released the entire series online on YouTube[1][2] as an edited version (all episodes are 45 minutes long) with English subtitles. The second season starts in the edited version with the capture of the Tang Monk (footage of the original episode 3). After that the edited version follows the original order. However, episode 5 Meeting immortals at Peacock Platform of the second season was deleted and parts of the content were integrated into the fourth episode Obstacle at Lion Camel Ridge making a total of 40 episodes instead of the original 41.[3]
| Journey to the West | |||||||
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.jpg) Promotional poster | |||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 西遊記 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 西游记 | ||||||
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| Genre |
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| Based on | Journey to the West by Wu Cheng'en | ||||||
| Screenplay by |
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| Directed by |
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| Starring |
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| Theme music composer | Xu Jingqing | ||||||
| Opening theme | Immortal Sound Above Cloud Palace (天宫讯音) made by Xu Jingqing | ||||||
| Ending theme | Dare to Ask Where is the Road (敢问路在何方) performed by Jiang Dawei | ||||||
| Country of origin | China | ||||||
| Original language | Mandarin | ||||||
| No. of seasons | 2 | ||||||
| No. of episodes | 41 (40 on the YouTube release) | ||||||
| Production | |||||||
| Executive producers |
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| Producer | Yang Jie | ||||||
| Production location | China | ||||||
| Cinematography | Wang Chongqiu | ||||||
| Running time | 40–62 minutes (45 on the YouTube release) | ||||||
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |||||||
| Network | CCTV | ||||||
| Release | 1 October 1986 | ||||||
List of episodes
Season 1
Season 1 has 25 episodes and covers 74 chapters of the novel. The first trial episode was aired on 1 October 1986, and filming lasted until 1987. It was aired as a whole series in 1988. With the limited but relatively new special effects, the series received a viewership rate of 89.4% in 1987.[4] The series has been rebroadcast every year since then. As of 2012, the series has been repeated on Chinese local channels more than 2,000 times.[5]
| No. overall | No. in series | Translated title in English | Original title in Chinese | Based on chapter(s) of novel | Runtime in minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Birth of the Monkey King | 猴王初问世 | 1-2 | 40 |
| 2 | 2 | Becoming a horse-keeper | 官封弼马温 | 2-4 | 44 |
| 3 | 3 | Havoc in Heaven | 大圣闹天宫 | 4-7 | 57 |
| 4 | 4 | Five Elements Mountain | 困囚五行山 | 7-9, 12-13 | 41 |
| 5 | 5 | The Monkey King guards Tang Sanzang | 猴王保唐僧 | 13-15 | 51 |
| 6 | 6 | Trouble in the temple of Guanyin | 祸起观音院 | 16-17 | 42 |
| 7 | 7 | The recruitment of Zhu Bajie | 计收猪八戒 | 18-19 | 51 |
| 8 | 8 | Facing three adversities during the tough journey | 坎途逢三难 | 20-24 | 49 |
| 9 | 9 | Stealing the Ginsengfruit | 偷吃人蔘果 | 24-26 | 51 |
| 10 | 10 | Three battles with the White Bone Demon | 三打白骨精 | 27 | 48 |
| 11 | 11 | Cleverly instigating the Monkey King | 智激美猴王 | 28-31 | 52 |
| 12 | 12 | Robbing treasure in the Lotus Cave | 夺宝莲花洞 | 32-35 | 51 |
| 13 | 13 | Slaying demons in the Kingdom of Wuji | 除妖乌鸡国 | 36-39 | 58 |
| 14 | 14 | Battling Red Boy | 大战红孩儿 | 40-42 | 42 |
| 15 | 15 | Defeating three demons in a contest of magic powers | 斗法降三怪 | 44-46 | 59 |
| 16 | 16 | Interesting encounter in Women's Kingdom | 趣经女儿国 | 53-55 | 59 |
| 17 | 17 | Three attempts in taking the Palm Leaf Fan | 三调芭蕉扇 | 59-61 | 50 |
| 18 | 18 | Cleaning the tower and redressing a grievance | 扫塔辨奇冤 | 62-63 | 54 |
| 19 | 19 | Entering Little Leiyin Temple by mistake | 误入小雷音 | 64-66 | 55 |
| 20 | 20 | The Monkey King becomes a physician | 孙猴巧行医 | 68-71 | 56 |
| 21 | 21 | Falling into the spiders' cave by accident | 错坠盘丝洞 | 72-73 | 57 |
| 22 | 22 | Four visits to the abyss | 四探无底洞 | 80-83 | 62 |
| 23 | 23 | Teaching in Yuhuazhou | 传艺玉华州 | 84-85, 88-90 | 59 |
| 24 | 24 | Subduing the Jade Rabbit in India | 天竺收玉兔 | 93-95 | 46 |
| 25 | 25 | Arrival in the Land of Pureness | 波生极乐天 | 98-100 | 50 |
Season 2
Due to budgetary issues, five of the initially planned episodes were not filmed:
- Dangerous crossing at Heaven Reaching River (险渡通天河), covering chapters 47-49
- Capturing the Azure Bull Demon (收伏青牛怪), covering chapters 50-52
- The real and fake Monkey King (真假美猴王), covering chapters 56-58
- Obstacle at Lion Camel Ridge (遇阻狮驼岭), covering chapters 74-77
- Rescuing children in a city (救难小儿城),[6] covering chapters 78-79
For season 2, the screenplay of these five episodes was rewritten into 16 episodes (covers another 25 chapters of the novel). Filming began in 1998 and finished in 1999. It was broadcast on CCTV in 2000. The internal story of the second season has the four protagonists relating to Emperor Taizong of Tang via flashbacks of their travels and adventures, (namely those episodes not depicted in the first series) upon their return to China. Season 2 differs from the format of the first season, as most episodes end on a cliffhanger, with conflicts being resolved and new ones encountered in the middle of episodes in a more fluid timeline.
| No. overall | No. in series | Translated title in English | Original title in Chinese | Based on chapter(s) of novel | Runtime in minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | 1 | Dangerous crossing at Heaven Reaching River | 险渡通天河 | 47-48 | 43 |
| 27 | 2 | A rift between master and disciples | 师徒生二心 | 49, 56-58 | 44 |
| 28 | 3 | The real and fake Monkey King | 真假美猴王 | 58 | 44 |
| 29 | 4 | Obstacle at Lion Camel Ridge | 受阻狮驼岭 | 58, 74 | 44 |
| 30 | 5 | Meeting immortals at Peacock Platform | 遇仙孔雀台 | 75-76 | 44 |
| 31 | 6 | Buddha captures the Great Peng | 如来收大鹏 | 77, 43 | 44 |
| 32 | 7 | Heartbreak at Black Water River | 情断黑水河 | 43, 10 | 44 |
| 33 | 8 | Capturing the Azure Bull Demon | 收伏青牛怪 | 50-51 | 44 |
| 34 | 9 | Praying for rain in Phoenix Immortal Prefecture | 祈雨凤仙郡 | 52, 87 | 44 |
| 35 | 10 | Wreaking havoc in Fragrance Covered Hall | 大闹披香殿 | 87, 67 | 44 |
| 36 | 11 | A dead end becomes the way | 绝域变通途 | 67, 86 | 44 |
| 37 | 12 | Shedding tears on Hidden Misty Mountain | 泪洒隐雾山 | 86, 78 | 44 |
| 38 | 13 | Rescuing children in a city | 救难小儿城 | 78-79 | 44 |
| 39 | 14 | Catching bandits in the land of bodhi | 缉盗菩提域 | 79, 88, 96-97 | 44 |
| 40 | 15 | Returning the soul of Benefactor Kou | 还魂寇善人 | 97, 91 | 44 |
| 41 | 16 | Admiring lanterns in Jinping Prefecture | 观灯金平府 | 91-92 | 43 |
Cast
- Some of the actors played multiple roles while certain roles were played by multiple actors
Season 1
Main cast
- Liu Xiao Ling Tong as Sun Wukong
- Wang Yue (episodes 6, 9, 10), Xu Shaohua (episodes 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 14-16), Chi Chongrui (episodes 13, 17-25) as Tang Sanzang
- Ma Dehua as Zhu Bajie
- Yan Huaili as Sha Wujing
Other cast
- Listed in order of appearance
Season 2
Main cast
- Liu Xiao Ling Tong as Sun Wukong
- Xu Shaohua, Chi Chongrui as Tang Sanzang
- Cui Jingfu as Zhu Bajie
- Liu Dagang as Sha Wujing
Other cast
- Listed in order of appearance
Soundtrack
The music for the series was mainly composed by Xu Jingqing (许镜清). It use of the combination of traditional Chinese instruments with Yamaha DX7 synthesizer and electronic drum,[7] its genre is a mixture between Chinese traditional music, Electronic music, and Orchestral song,[8] making them one of the first electronic music compositions aired on the Mainland China mainstream media. The use of electric music that was perceived as "Western" and "modern" in the "traditional Chinese story" was the issue of debate at the time.[9]
Season 1
| # | Track title | Credits | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 西游记序曲 / 云宫迅音 (Journey to the West Opening Theme / Immortal Sound Above Cloud Palace) | Performed by the musical band of the Central Ballet Troupe; conducted by Hu Bingxu | The opening theme music played at the start of each episode |
| 2 | 百曲千折显精诚 (Thousands of Adversities Prove One's Sincerity) | Composed by Wang Liping; lyrics by Wang Liping; performed by Wu Yanze | Opening theme song of episodes 7 and 10 during the 1984 run; replaced by the first track in the 1986 run. |
| 3 | 敢问路在何方 (Dare to Ask Where is the Road) | Lyrics by Yan Su; performed by Zhang Baomo / Jiang Dawei | Ending theme song; performed by Zhang Baomo during the initial runs in 1984 and 1986; performed by Jiang Dawei in the full 25 episodes run |
| 4 | 生无名本无姓 (Born Without a Name, Naturally Without a Surname) | Lyrics by Fulin and Xiaoling; performed by Huang Xiaoqun | Insert song in episode 3; played during the 1986 run; later performed by Wang Xiaoqing |
| 5 | 大圣歌 (Song of the Great Sage) | Lyrics by Yan Su; performed by Hu Yinyin | Insert song in episode 3, replaced the fourth track in the full 25 episodes run |
| 6 | 他多想是棵小草 / 被贬五行山 (He Wished He Was a Blade of Grass / Trapped Under Five Elements Mountain) | Lyrics by Yan Su; performed by Ding Xiaoqing | Insert song in episode 4; played during the 1986 run |
| 7 | 五百年桑田沧海 (500 Years of Great Changes) | Lyrics by Yan Su; performed by Yu Junjian | Insert song in episode 4; replaced the sixth track in the full 25 episodes run |
| 8 | 走啊走 (Let's Go) | Lyrics by Yan Su; performed by Zhou Lifu / Li Jingxian | Insert song in episode 4; performed by Zhou Lifu in the 1986 run; performed by Li Jingxian in the full 25 episodes run |
| 9 | 吹不散这点点愁 (Cannot Blow Away This Little Bit of Misery) | Lyrics by Yan Su, performed by Yu Junjian | Insert song in episode 10 |
| 10 | 女儿情 (Women's Feelings) | Lyrics by Yang Jie; performed by Wu Jing | Insert song in episode 16 |
| 11 | 相见难别亦难 (Meeting is Difficult, Parting Ways is Also Difficult) | Lyrics by Yan Su; performed by Wu Jing | Insert song in episode 16 |
| 12 | 晴空月儿明 (Clear Sky, Bright Moon) | Lyrics by Yan Su; performed by Chi Chongrui | Insert song in episode 18 |
| 13 | 何必西天万里遥 (Why Must the West Heaven be So Far Away) | Lyrics by Yan Su; performed by Wu Jing | Insert song in episode 19 |
| 14 | 天竺少女 (Indian Girl) | Lyrics by Yan Su; performed by Li Lingyu | Insert song in episode 24 |
| 15 | 青青菩提树 (Green Bodhi Tree) | Lyrics by Yan Su; performed by Li Jingxian | Insert song in episode 25 |
| 16 | 无底船歌 (Song of the Bottomless Boat) | Lyrics by Yan Su; performed by Ye Mao | Insert song in episode 25 |
| 17 | 取经归来 (Returning with the Scriptures) | Lyrics by Dai Yinglu; performed by Jiang Dawei | Insert song in episode 25 |
| 18 | 欢聚花果山 (Happy Gathering at Flower Fruit Mountain) | ||
| 19 | 快乐花果山 (Joy in Flower Fruit Mountain) | ||
| 20 | 逍遥自在的孙大圣 (The Carefree Great Sage Sun) | Lyrics by Yan Su; performed by Zhang Xu | Insert in episode 3 |
| 21 | 幽冥界 (The Underworld) | ||
| 22 | 初进凌霄殿 (First Entrance into Lingxiao Hall) | ||
| 23 | 官封弼马温 (Appointed Keeper of Horses) | Lyrics by Yan Su; performed by a children's choir | Used as a soundtrack in an earlier version of episode 2 |
| 24 | 嫦娥舞曲 (Chang'e's Dance Theme) | ||
| 25 | 大闹蟠桃会 (Causing Trouble at the Peach Feast) | ||
| 26 | 大战二郎神 (Fighting Erlang Shen) | ||
| 27 | 安天会 (Heaven Pacification Meeting) | ||
| 28 | 观音宝曲 (Guanyin's Theme) | ||
| 29 | 送别 (Farewell) | ||
| 30 | 状元巡街 (Top Scholar Parades Through the Streets) | ||
| 31 | 江流儿 (The River Flows) | ||
| 32 | 放生曲 (Release Theme) | ||
| 33 | 江月 (River and Moon) | ||
| 34 | 痴梦 (Delusional Dream) | ||
| 35 | 猪八戒背媳妇 (Zhu Bajie Carries his Spouse) | ||
| 36 | 猪八戒撞天婚 (Zhu Bajie's Marriage) | ||
| 37 | 偷吃人参果 (Stealing the Ginsengfruit) | ||
| 38 | 仙童骂战 (Argument Between Boys) | ||
| 39 | 公主打猎曲 (The Princess Goes Hunting Theme) | ||
| 40 | 云山雾海 (Clouded Mountains and Misty Seas) | ||
| 41 | 乌鸡遗恨 (Regret in Wuji) | ||
| 42 | 登坛作法 (Setting Up an Altar and Preparing for a Ritual) | ||
| 43 | 云台显圣 (Display of Power at Cloud Platform) | ||
| 44 | 鸳鸯梦 (Dream of the Mandarin Ducks) | ||
| 45 | 铁扇仙舞剑 (Princess Iron Fan's Sword Dance) | ||
| 46 | 风雨行路难 (A Road Hard to Travel) |
Season 2
| # | Track title | Credits | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 通天大道宽又阔 (The Path to Heaven is Wide) | Music and lyrics by Yao Ming; performed by Choi Kyung Ho / Clover | The main theme song |
| 2 | 敢问路在何方 (Dare to Ask Where Is the Road) | Lyrics by Yan Su; performed by Jiang Dawei | The ending theme song |
| 3 | 伴君常开花一朵 (By Your Side, A Flower Often Blossoms) | Music and lyrics by Yao Ming; performed by Pan Jun | Insert song |
| 4 | 心中有路是坦途 (The Road in Your Heart is a Level Path) | Music by Xu Jingqing and lyrics by Yao Ming; performed by Chi Chongrui | Originally written as an insert song, but was replaced by 看我跃马扬鞭 (Watch Me Ride My Horse and Wave My Whip) in the final release. |
| 5 | 留不住去也难 (Cannot Make You Stay, Leaving is Also Difficult) | Music by Xu Jingqing and lyrics by Yao Ming; performed by Li Shu | Originally written as an insert song, but was in the final release replaced by 就这样走 (Just Leave Like This) Music and lyrics by Yao Ming; performed by Chen Xiaotao. |
| 6 | 庄严我神州大地 (The Dignity of Our Land) | Music and lyrics by Yao Ming; performed by Zhang Mai | Insert song |
| 7 | 多少情和意 (How Much Love and Meaning) | Music by Xu Jingqing and lyrics by Yao Ming; performed by Wu Jing and Mou Xuanfu | Originally written as an insert song, but was replaced by a piece of background music in the final release. |
| 8 | 看我跃马扬鞭 (Watch Me Ride My Horse and Wave My Whip) | Music and lyrics by Yao Ming; performed by Chi Chongrui | Insert song |
Accolades
| Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8th Feitian Awards | Outstanding Television Series | Journey to the West | Won |
| 6th Golden Eagle Awards | Best Actor | Zhang Jinlai | Won |
Wu Cheng'en and Journey to the West
The original lead actors of Journey to the West (1986) — Liu Xiao Ling Tong, Chi Chongrui and Ma Dehua — reprised their roles in Wu Cheng'en and Journey to the West, a 2010 television series about Wu Cheng'en and his inspiration for writing the novel Journey to the West. Sha Wujing, however, was portrayed by Liu Dagang because Yan Huaili, who played the character in 1986, died in April 2009.[citation needed]
