Life Atop the Monkey God Temple
Exploring Tales, Inspiration, and Modern Interpretations of Journey to the West (西遊記)
Today, I want to take you back in time to a place that holds a special spot in my heart - a period when I once lived above a Monkey God temple. Intrigued? Let's dive in!
Sun Wukong’s Blowout Party
Many years ago, on a quaint island far away, I found my first job and a compact home with character - right above the Monkey God Temple - and conveniently next to a renowned food court (hawker center for the locals) and public transportation. While not the smallest place I’ve lived in, it definitely tested the limits and had the most hidden storage I have ever seen in my life (apologies to a certain friend for inadvertently locking them inside - the apartment, not the storage compartments - like a pet hamster while I went to work).
The temple on the ground floor remained a peripheral curiosity until the day I awoke to an unexpected surprise. My morning was disrupted by a spirited 5 a.m. ceremony, followed by an exuberant street celebration in honor of the Monkey God's birthday. Lesson learned: always acquaint oneself with key ritual dates when residing in close proximity to a place of worship.
👆👆👆Watch this video to hear and see the Monkey God’s celebrations 🐒
To be clear, this temple is dedicated to Sun Wukong or the Monkey King, a central character in the epic Journey to the West. As the story goes, he is a monkey born from a stone who acquires supernatural powers through Taoist practices. Imprisoned beneath a mountain by Buddha after rebelling against heaven, the Monkey King is released 500 years later, provided he accompanies a monk and two other disciples on a sacred journey to retrieve Buddhist sutras from the West (India), where Buddha and his followers dwell.
From Temples to TV Screens: The Monkey King's Enduring Tale
Beyond a deity of worship, the Monkey King’s fascinating tales from the classical 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West have a constant presence in my life. As a kid, I used to watch the reruns of the 80s Chinese TV series version during family gatherings for Lunar New Year and mahjong parties. My basic level of Chinese made it difficult to understand what was said or written in the subtitles, but I still enjoyed watching the special effects, costumes, fight scenes, and portrayal of characters. Looking back on this, I now understand why my sibling and I grew fond of the character's modern pop culture versions, particularly Son Goku from Dragon Ball.
Recently, I stumbled upon a 2023 American TV series, American Born Chinese. It draws inspiration from the 2006 graphic novel of the same name by Gene Luen Yang, who, in turn, drew from his own adolescence in the 1990s to create this contemporary adaptation of "Journey to the West." The main character in "American Born Chinese" shares a similar level of Chinese language proficiency as I do, making many of the language barrier jokes in the series hilariously relatable. Overall, it's a fun watch with a star-studded cast—highly recommend.
Now, I'm eager to hear from you!
What stories have brought back cherished memories or sparked newfound inspiration in your life? Please don't hesitate to share, I genuinely would love to hear about them!
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