Journey to the West
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Journey to the West is a Chinese novel published in the 16th century during the Ming dynasty and attributed to Wu Cheng'en. It is regarded as one of the greatest Classic Chinese Novels, and has been described as arguably the most popular literary work in East Asia. Arthur Waley's 1942 abridged translation, Monkey, is known in English-speaking countries.
Earliest known edition of the book from the 16th century
The four protagonists, from left to right: the Monkey King, Tang Sanzang (on the White Dragon Horse), Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing
Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an
Porcelain pillow showing characters
Wu Cheng'en
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Wu Cheng'en (traditional Chinese: 吳承恩; simplified Chinese: 吴承恩; pinyin: Wú Chéng'ēn; Wade–Giles: Wu2 Ch‘êng2-ên1; Jyutping: Ng4 Sing4 Jan1, c. 1500–1582 or 1505–1580), courtesy name Ruzhong (汝忠), was a Chinese novelist, poet, and politician during the Ming dynasty. He is considered by many to be the author of Journey to the West, one of the Classic Chinese Novels.
A page from the earliest-known edition of Journey to the West, in woodblock print, 16th century