Journey to the West, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature, was written in the 16th century and attributed to Wu Cheng'en. Stories and characters were widely used, especially in Beijing opera, and the novel has been adapted many times in modern film, television, stage, and other media.
Visual Art The Japanese artist Tsukioka Yoshitoshi published a series of prints in 1865 titled Tsûzoku saiyûki (A Modern Journey to the West). San Francisco Bay Area artists from the Art Builds Community, with co-curator Caitlin Pambid, exhibited an art installation with artworks inspired by the San Francisco Opera's The Monkey King (see below) open only to opera ticket holders. The installation was held in the War Memorial Opera House from November 14 through December 1, 2025. The artists represented were: Alexandra Luong, Cindy Duong, Eva Agus (website) (exhibition art piece), jellyfshjamz, Jessica Chen Fan, Liz Scotta, Lost Artworks, Monkey Boy Illustrations, Nellie Wong & Andi Wong, Sherry Yuan, Watercrystal Jade, Y. Sharon Peng.
Stage plays The Monkey Sun (Opičák Sun), a 1984 production adapting several chapters from the novel by the Theatre Esence in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Amazing Adventures of the Marvelous Monkey King, a 2001 children's play by Elizabeth Wong. The Monkey King, a 2005 production by the Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Journey to the West: The Musical, a stage musical which received its world premiere at the New York Musical Theatre Festival on 25 September 2006. Monkey: Journey to the West, a stage musical version created by Chen Shi-Zheng, Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. It premiered as part of the Manchester International Festival at the Palace Theatre on 28 June 2007. Mary Zimmerman, Introduction by Anthony C. Yu, Journey to the West: A Play (Northwestern University Press, 2011). Monkey: A Journey to the West, a live storytelling by Sebastian Lockwood of the New Hampshire Institute of Art, presented in February 2012. Dramatica ACT 1: Journey to the West - The Eternal Legend, a 2021 stage musical produced by Frontier Works. Buddha and the Monkey King, an English-language opera by Hong Kong composer Anna Vienna Ho which received its world premiere at The Cockpit in London, as part of the Tête à Tête: The Opera Festival 2020. The Monk of the River, an English-language opera by Hong Kong composer Anna Vienna Ho which received its world premiere at The Cockpit in London, as part of the Tête à Tête: The Opera Festival 2021. The Monster of Gao Village, an English-language opera by Hong Kong composer Anna Vienna Ho which received its world premiere at The Cockpit in London, as part of the Tête à Tête: The Opera Festival 2023. The Monkey King (Chinese title: Houwang Wukong 猴王悟空), an opera by Huang Ruo (composer) and David Henry Hwang (librettist). The opera is in English and Mandarin. It received its world premiere at the San Francisco Opera on November 14, 2025. The opera was a San Francisco Opera Debut and New San Francisco Opera Production, commissioned by the Chinese Heritage Foundation of Minnesota.
Films The Cave of the Silken Web, or Pan Si Dong, a 1927 silent adaptation of one chapter of the novel. It was followed by a 1930 sequel, The Cave of the Silken Web II (alternatively known as Spiders II). Enoken's Sun Wukong (1940), directed by Kajirō Yamamoto.IMDB Princess Iron Fan, a 1941 liberal adaptation of a short sequence from Journey to the West; the first Chinese animated feature film. Monkey Sun, a 1959 Japanese film produced by Toho, released as Sun Wukong in Japan, as The Adventures of Sun Wu Kung in the United States, and as Monkey Sun internationally. Shanghai Animation Film Studio produced several animated films based on chapters from Journey to the West: Havoc in Heaven, also known as Uproar in Heaven, is a 1961 Chinese animated feature film directed by Wan Lai-ming and produced by Wan and his three brothers. In 2012 it was "restored" in 3D. 人參果 (Ren Shen Guo), a 1981 Chinese animated film directed by Yan Ding Xian, in English known as Ginseng Fruit (also known as Stealing (the) Ginseng Fruit and "Monkey King and Fruit of Immortality") 金猴降妖 (Jinhou jiang yao / Jin hou xiang yao), The Monkey King Conquers the Demon, a 1985 Chinese animated film directed by Te Wei. in English known as "Monkey (King) Conquers the (white bone) Demon" or "Golden Monkey Subdued the Evil" or "Golden Monkey Conquers the Evil". Alakazam the Great, a retelling of the first part of the story based on the characters designed by Osamu Tezuka. It was one of the first anime films produced by Toei Animation. 1960s Hong Kong film series produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio and directed by Ho Meng-hua: Monkey Goes West (1966) Princess Iron Fan (1966), adapting two chapters from the novel. Cave of the Silken Web (1967) The Land of Many Perfumes (1968) Battles With The Red Boy, 1972 Taiwanese film The Fantastic Magic Baby, a 1975 Hong Kong film directed by Chang Cheh. Monkey King with 72 Magic, a 1979 Taiwanese film directed and produced by Fu Ching-Wa, telling the story from the birth of Sun Wukong to his imprisonment by Buddha. Doraemon: The Record of Nobita's Parallel Visit to the West is based on Journey to the West. It is the 9th feature-length Doraemon film, which was released in 1988. In the film, the monsters of the Journey to the West video game are released in the real world. Nobita and his friends become characters of Journey to the West and fight against the monsters to restore the peace. New Pilgrims to the West, a 1982 Taiwanese movie directed by Chan Jun-Leung. A sequel, Monkey War, was released the same year. Go West to Subdue Demons, a 1992 movie directed by Chang Cheh. A Chinese Odyssey, a two-part 1995 Hong Kong fantasy comedy film loosely based on the novel starring Stephen Chow as Sun Wukong. A Chinese Odyssey Part Three is a 2016 Chinese-Hong Kong fantasy comedy film and the threequel to A Chinese Odyssey, starring Han Geng as Sun Wukong. Heavenly Legend, a 1998 Taiwanese film by Tai Seng Entertainment that is partially based on the novel. A Chinese Tall Story (2005), a Hong Kong comedy film loosely based on the novel, starring Bolin Chen as Sun Wukong. Fire Ball, a 2005 Taiwanese animated feature film made by Wang Film Productions and directed by Wong Tung. Saiyūki, also known as Monkey Magic: The Movie and Adventures of the Super Monkey, is a Japanese feature film produced by Fuji Television, released in Japan on 14 July 2007. The film was made in lieu of a second season of the 2006 television series by the same name. The film was a box office success, becoming the 8th highest-grossing film of 2007 in Japan. Monkey King vs. Er Lang Shen is a 2007 CG Chinese animated film produced by Yuan Cheng depicting Sun Wukong's fight against Erlang Shen. The Forbidden Kingdom is a 2008 Chinese-American fantasy-adventure martial arts film featuring Jet Li as Sun Wukong. Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons is a 2013 Hong Kong comedy film loosely based on the novel directed by Stephen Chow and stars Huang Bo as Sun Wukong. Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back is a sequel to Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons, produced by Stephen Chow and directed by Tsui Hark, which stars Lin Gengxin as Sun Wukong. The Monkey King is a 2014 Chinese-Hong Kong film directed by Cheang Pou-soi and stars Donnie Yen as Sun Wukong. The movie depicts Wukong's rebellion against Heaven. The Monkey King 2 is a 2016 sequel to the 2014 Chinese-Hong Kong film The Monkey King directed by Cheang Pou-soi and stars Aaron Kwok as Sun Wukong, replacing Donnie Yen from the prequel film. The Monkey King 3, a 2018 sequel and director Cheang Pou-soi's third installment in his Monkey King series, follows Sun Wukong, Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing, where they travel to the Country of Women, also starring Aaron Kwok as Sun Wukong, reprising his role from the second film. Monkey King: Hero Is Back is a 2015 Chinese animation film directed by first time director Tian Xiaopeng. The film is based on the story of Sun Wukong, where he fights a powerful source of evil after being freed from his seal. As of 2015, it was the highest grossing Chinese animated film. In New Gods: Nezha Reborn, Li Yunxiang (who is the reincarnation of Nezha) meets with a masked man who he believes is the Six-Eared Macaque, who turns out to be the legendary Sun Wukong and offers to teach him how to control his powers to fight against Ao Bing and his father the Dragon of the East Ao Guang. Spark: A Space Tail shows similarities to the novel such as Sun Wukong, Vix who fills in as Tang Sanzang, Chunk as Zhu Bajie and the Flagship Captain as Sha Wujing. Surprise is a low-budget 2015 Chinese fantasy comedy film directed by Show Joy. It had wide previews on 12 and 13 December and was released on 18 December 2015. Dream Journey is a 2016 Chinese comedy film. Followed by Dream Journey 2: Princess Iron Fan (2017), Dream Journey 3: The Land of Many (2017), Dream Journey 4: Biography of Demon, Dream Journey 5: Legendary Treasure (2019) and Dream Journey 6:Tian Mang Shen Quan (2019). Produced by Zhejiang Meishi Zhongle Media. Wu Kong stars Eddie Peng as Sun Wukong and Ni Ni as his lover, Zixia Two Princesses, Journey to the West (2017) a film directed by Jia Kai. Buddies in India (2017) a comedy film, starring Wang Baoqiang as Sun Wukong. Monkey King Reborn, a 2021 CGI film, loosely based on chapters 24 to 26 of Journey to the West, revolving around the Ginseng fruit (人參樹). The film follows Sun Wukong and his companions having to rescue Tang Sanzang from the King of Demons who took him as revenge for his imprisonment. The Journey to the West: Demon's Child, a live action film which centers around Red Boy, who has been eroded by the Heavenly Fire since he was in the womb, resulting him to become a demon. Years later he was tasked by the Gray Wolf Monster to capture Tang Sanzang in exchange for treasure for his mother Princess Iron Fan, however he has to get past Sun Wukong first. In the 2023 animated Netflix film The Monkey King, the trickster monkey embarks on a quest for immortality with the help of a young girl name Lin, however the Dragon King wants revenge on the Sun Wukong for stealing his magical column, now becoming his golden staff. The 2025 animated film Nobody follows a group of low-level spirits who pretend to be the travelling group from Journey to the West in an attempt to beat them to Buddha's scrolls. Although a comedy, it fits into the canonical story, taking place before the showdown at Little Thunderclap Mountain. Sun Wukong and the other characters appear in the film's final scenes, and play a small but pivotal role in the conclusion.
Television series Monkey (Saiyūki), a 1978–1980 Japanese television series based on Journey to the West. It was translated into English by the BBC. Journey to the West, a two-season television series produced by CCTV, starring Liu Xiao Ling Tong as Sun Wukong. The two seasons were released in 1986 and 1999 respectively. Noted for its faithfulness to the original novel, this series is still considered by many as a classic. Fly! Superboard (날아라 슈퍼보드), a 1990–2002 South Korean animated television series produced by KBS. It adapts the story into a modern setting where Mister Son (Sun Wukong) rides a flying skateboard and fights with a pair of magical nunchaku, Palgye (Zhu Bajie) drives a bazooka-firing motorcycle, and Saojeong (Sha Wujing) uses a squeaky hammer and water gun. It became one of the most popular animated series in South Korean television history, setting record-high ratings during its run. Journey to the West, , a 1994 Japanese television series. Nippon TV produced another television series, based on Journey to the West, titled New Monkey, it ran for only one season.