Sun Wukong

Quick facts for kids Sun Wukong 孫悟空
A 19th century illustration
Information
Species	Monkey
Gender	Male
Religion	Buddhism and Daoism (also known as Taoism)
Birthplace	Flowers and Fruit Mountain
Source	Journey to the West, c. 1592 (print)
Ability	Immortality, 72 Bian (Morphing Powers), Jin Dou Yun (Cloud Surfing), Jin Gang Bu Huai Zhi Shen (Superhuman Durability), Jin Jing Huo Yan (True Sight)
Weapon	Ruyi Jingu Bang/Ding Hai Shen Zhen
Height	1.3m
Master/Shifu	Patriarch Subodhi, Tang Sanzang

Sun Wukong (Chinese: 孫悟空), also known as the Monkey King, is a famous character from Chinese stories. He is one of the main heroes in the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West. In this exciting story, Sun Wukong is a special monkey born from a stone. He gains amazing powers through Taoist training. After causing some trouble in Heaven, the powerful Buddha traps him under a huge mountain.

Five hundred years later, Sun Wukong gets a chance to be free. He joins a brave monk named Tang Sanzang on a long journey. They travel to the "West" (which means India) to find sacred Buddhist sutras (holy texts). Two other friends, Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing, and the White Dragon Horse also join their quest.

Sun Wukong has many incredible abilities. He is super strong and can carry two heavy mountains on his shoulders while running super fast. He can travel 108,000 li (about 54,000 km or 34,000 miles) in just one somersault! He also has a fantastic memory and can remember every monkey ever born. As the king of monkeys, he protects them all. Sun Wukong knows 72 special transformations, letting him change into animals or objects. He is a master fighter and can even make copies of himself using his magical hair. He can also control some weather, make people freeze, and become invisible.

The Story of Sun Wukong

How the Monkey King Came to Be

Golden statues of the main characters, including Sun Wukong, in Suphan Buri, Thailand

Sun Wukong's story begins on the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit. He was born from a magical stone that had absorbed energy from the sky and earth for a very long time. One day, the stone opened up, and a stone monkey appeared! Golden light shot from his eyes, surprising the Jade Emperor in Heaven. But the Emperor didn't think much of the little monkey.

The stone monkey soon joined a group of wild monkeys. One day, they found a beautiful waterfall. They dared each other to jump through it and find where the stream came from. The bravest stone monkey volunteered and discovered a hidden cave behind the waterfall. He convinced the other monkeys to join him, and the cave became their new home. Because he was so brave, they made him their king, and he called himself the Handsome Monkey King.

Seeking Immortality and Special Powers

Even though he was happy, the Monkey King became sad when one of his friends grew old and passed away. He didn't want to face death, so he left his island on a raft. He wanted to find an Immortal who could teach him how to live forever. After a long journey, he met a wise Taoist master named Puti Zushi. The master was impressed by the Monkey King's determination and accepted him as a student. He gave him the name "Sun Wukong" and taught him many powerful Taoist secrets, including how to become immortal.

Puti Zushi also taught Sun Wukong never to show off his skills too much. He warned that if Wukong taught others, they might cause trouble. If he didn't teach them, they might get angry. So, Sun Wukong promised never to tell anyone who his master was.

Trouble with Dragons and Demons

After returning home, Sun Wukong found that a demon was kidnapping his monkey friends. He quickly defeated the demon and saved his tribe. He also needed a powerful weapon for himself. He heard that the Dragon Kings had many treasures, so he visited the palace of the Dragon King Ao Guang. Sun Wukong insisted on getting a weapon, and after trying many, he found the perfect one: the Ruyi Jingu Bang. This magical staff was originally used to measure the ocean's depth. It could change its size, fly, and weighed 7,960 kg (about 17,550 pounds)! When not in use, Sun Wukong could shrink it to the size of a needle and keep it in his ear.

He also convinced the Dragon Kings to give him special armor: a golden chain mail shirt, a phoenix-feather cap, and cloud-walking boots. With his new gear, Sun Wukong became even more powerful. He even made friends with other powerful demon kings, forming a group called the Seven Sages.

Sun Wukong then caused more trouble by removing his name and the names of all his monkeys from the "Book of Life and Death," a record kept by the rulers of the underworld. This made him and his monkeys immune to death. The Dragon Kings and the underworld rulers complained to the Jade Emperor in Heaven.

Chaos in Heaven

Sun Wukong and Princess Iron Fan in an old illustration from 1592

To try and control the mischievous Monkey King, the Jade Emperor invited him to Heaven. He was given the title "Protector of the Horses," which sounded important but was actually the lowest job in Heaven. When Sun Wukong found out, he was furious! He set all the heavenly horses free and returned to his mountain, declaring himself "The Great Sage, Heaven's Equal."

Heaven's officials were worried. They reluctantly recognized his title to keep him from causing more trouble on Earth. They even gave him a new job: "Guardian of the Heavenly Peach Garden." Sun Wukong loved peaches, so he accepted. However, he later discovered that all the important gods were invited to a grand banquet, but he was not. The heavenly maidens told him he was just a peach garden keeper, not a true god. This made him very angry.

During the banquet preparations, Sun Wukong snuck in. He tasted the delicious foods and drank the royal wine. While a little tipsy, he wandered into Laozi's alchemy lab and ate many of his special "Pills of Immortality." These pills, along with the peaches and wine, made him even more powerful and impossible to defeat. He then escaped back to his kingdom, ready for a fight.

The Jade Emperor sent his vast army to capture Sun Wukong. But the Monkey King, laughing and enjoying the challenge, single-handedly defeated 100,000 celestial warriors, many gods, and powerful generals.

Imprisonment by Buddha

The gods were desperate and asked the great Buddha for help. Buddha arrived and listened to Sun Wukong, who boldly claimed he should be the new Jade Emperor. Buddha then made a bet: if Sun Wukong could escape from his palm, he would become the new ruler of Heaven. Sun Wukong confidently agreed.

He leaped and flew as fast as he could, reaching what he thought was the very edge of the universe. He saw five tall pillars and believed he had reached the end of everything. To prove he was there, he wrote on one of the pillars. He then flew back to Buddha's palm, expecting to win. But to his shock, the five "pillars" were actually Buddha's fingers! Sun Wukong had never even left Buddha's hand.

When the Monkey King tried to escape, Buddha turned his hand into a huge mountain of rocks, sending Sun Wukong crashing down to Earth. Buddha then sealed him under the mountain with a magical paper charm. Sun Wukong was trapped there for five hundred years, learning patience and humility. Two earth spirits fed him special food and drink during his imprisonment.

Joining the Journey to the West

Sun Wukong with Tang Sanzang

Five centuries later, the kind Bodhisattva Guanyin was looking for protectors for a monk named Tang Sanzang. This monk was going on a dangerous journey to India to bring back sacred Buddhist texts. Sun Wukong heard about this and offered to help the monk in exchange for his freedom.

Guanyin knew Sun Wukong could be difficult. So, she gave Tang Sanzang a magical circlet. Once Sun Wukong was tricked into wearing it, it could never be removed. If he misbehaved, Tang Sanzang could chant a special prayer, and the circlet would tighten, giving Sun Wukong a terrible headache. Guanyin also gave the Monkey King three special hairs for emergencies. Under Tang Sanzang's guidance, Sun Wukong began his journey to the West.

Sun Wukong fighting a wind demon

Throughout the novel, Sun Wukong faithfully protected Tang Sanzang. They were joined by "Pigsy" (Zhu Bajie) and "Sandy" (Sha Wujing), who also sought to make up for past mistakes. Tang Sanzang was constantly in danger from demons who believed that eating him would give them special powers. Sun Wukong bravely fought these threats. The group faced 81 challenges before completing their mission and returning safely to China.

During this long journey, Sun Wukong learned important lessons about kindness and the teachings of Buddhism. At the end, he achieved Buddhahood, becoming the "Victorious Fighting Buddha" for his courage and service.

Names and Titles of Sun Wukong

A painted mural depicting Sun Wukong, in yellow, and other main characters of the novel

Sun Wukong has many names and titles throughout his story. Here are some of the most important ones:

• Stone Monkey (石猴; Shí Hóu): This name refers to his birth from a magical stone.
• Handsome Monkey-King (美猴王; Měi Hóuwáng): He gave himself this name after becoming king of the monkeys.
• Sun Wukong (孫悟空; Sūn Wùkōng): His first master, Patriarch Bodhi, gave him this religious name. "Wukong" means "awakened to emptiness."
• Protector of the Horses (弼馬溫; Bìmǎwēn): This was a low-ranking job in Heaven that the Jade Emperor gave him, which made him angry.
• The Great Sage, Heaven's Equal (齊天大聖; Qítiān Dàshèng): Sun Wukong proudly declared this title for himself, meaning he was as powerful as Heaven itself.
• Ascetic (行者; Xíngzhě): Tang Sanzang called him "Sun-xíngzhě," meaning a wandering monk or a priest's helper.
• Victorious Fighting Buddha (鬥戰勝佛; Dòu-zhànshèng-fó): This was his final title after completing the Journey to the West and achieving Buddhahood.

Amazing Abilities

Sun Wukong has many incredible powers, which he learned during his Taoist training:

• Cloud Somersaulting (觔斗雲; Jīndǒuyún): He can travel 54,000 km (34,000 miles) in a single leap, often shown riding a magical cloud.
• Seventy-two Transformations (七十二般變化; Qīshí'èr-bān Biànhuà): He can change his body into almost anything, like animals, objects, or even buildings. He can also change his size, from tiny to gigantic.
• Immortal Breath (仙氣; Xiānqì): His magical breath allows him to transform his hairs, heal wounds, and empower others.
• Bod(y/ies) Beyond The Body (身外身法; Shēnwàishēn Fǎ): He can transform any of his 84,000 hairs into clones of himself, or into weapons, animals, and other items.
• Diamond Body (金鋼之軀; Jīngāng zhī Qū): His body is almost impossible to harm, immune to blades, fire, lightning, and poison.
• Fiery Eyes, Golden Pupils (火眼金睛; Huǒyǎn Jīnjīng): These special eyes allow him to see through illusions and disguises, and to recognize evil. He can also see very far distances.
• Invisibility (隱身法; Yǐnshēn Fǎ): He can become invisible to humans, gods, and spirits.
• Body-Fixing Method (定身法; Dìngshēn Fǎ): He can freeze people, gods, and spirits in place for a long time.
• Protective Circles (圈子; Quānzi): He can draw a magical circle on the ground with his staff that acts as a strong barrier to protect his friends from enemies.

How Sun Wukong Became Immortal

Sun Wukong gained immortality in many ways, making him one of the most powerful beings.

• Taoist Training: His master, Puti Zushi, taught him secret spells and practices to cultivate immortality.
• Book of Mortals: He bravely went to the underworld and erased his name, and the names of his monkey tribe, from the "Book of Life and Death," making them immune to death.
• Peaches of Immortality: While guarding the Heavenly Peach Garden, he ate many magical peaches. These peaches granted him thousands of years of life and special abilities.
• Heavenly Wine: He stole and drank the special wine meant for the gods at the Queen Mother of the West's banquet, which also granted immortality.
• Pills of Longevity: He found and ate a gourd full of Laozi's powerful Pills of Immortality, making him even more invincible.
• Laozi's Furnace: After being captured, he was put into a magical furnace for 49 days. Instead of destroying him, the intense heat made his body even stronger and gave him his "Fiery Eyes, Golden Pupils."
• Buddhist Foods: During his journey to the West, he and his companions were given special Buddhist foods that further enhanced his immortality.

Sun Wukong's Influence Today

Sun Wukong's shrine at Thien Hau Temple, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Sun Wukong statue and shrine at Waterloo Street, Singapore

Sun Wukong is one of the most famous characters in Chinese literature and has inspired many stories, movies, and games around the world.

Video Games

• In Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, the Pokémon Infernape's design was inspired by Sun Wukong.
• Sun Wukong appears as a playable character in games like Warriors Orochi, Dota 2, League of Legends, Warframe, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and Honor of Kings.
• The game Enslaved: Odyssey to the West tells a story loosely based on Journey to the West, with its main character, Monkey, inspired by Wukong.
• In Civilization VI, Sun Wukong is one of the mythological heroes players can summon.
• The upcoming game Black Myth: Wukong lets players play as a reincarnation of Sun Wukong.

Music

• The K-Pop group Seventeen released a song called "Super" (손오공), inspired by Sun Wukong.
• The band Gorillaz (Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett) created a musical called Monkey, based on the story.

Poetry

• Hungarian poet Lőrinc Szabó wrote a poem called Szun Vu Kung lázadása ("Sun Wukong's mutiny") about the Monkey King.

See also

• Birthday of the Monkey God
• Hanuman, a Hindu deity with some similarities to Sun Wukong.
• List of media adaptations of Journey to the West
• Monkey King Festival
• Sun Wukong Fossa, a landform on Pluto named after the Monkey King.